Colonel Monte Donard and his team of Traveling Colonels have partnered with Medical Missionaries since 2023. In this page we will share updates as we get them. You can support Traveling Colonels by donating to Medical Missionaries and dedicating to the Traveling Colonels. Or, you can donate directly via https://donorbox.org/travelingcolonels501c
This page has the latest updates from the Traveling Colonels. You can find updates from November 2024 through June 2025 as well as older updates.
Nov 16, 2025
From Col Monte:
A couple of updates today. The first is the video below which has Col Monte and Col Chuck thanking volunteers for blankets and gators. Kiev temperature is now freezing overnight. There may have even been a few micro snow flakes this afternoon melting as they fell. Winter is Coming!
The second update relates to the below images where Col Monte bought 800 government surplus coagulator surgical pencils and just sent out boxes of 20 each. Dr Serhii, a Lviv military neurosurgeon, literally got these Thursday or Friday and sent these pictures Friday. He seems happy with them.
Last update was while Col Monte was at the hotel he relayed:
Noticed some glum faces in the hotel lobby. Was approached by some staff and was told that a hotel staff colleague had had an accident and desperately needed blood thinner injections to prevent blood clots. I left immediately for the local pharmacy not sure if they would sell to me but figured I would see what they say.
Two pharmacies later I had made the purchase and got the required medication. Iris cafe Natalia and Allla the cook very happy and appreciative.
The tall gentleman -maybe the hotel facility manager that greets us every morning as he gets breakfast apparently was not at fault for a bad automobile accident and got banged up pretty bad. – Part of my day helping Ukraine!
Nov 14, 2025
From Col Monte:
Photos from Senior Sergeant Elena former with 4th Tanks who is working stabilization point evacuations.
Items we sent out a few days ago to a very forward aid station used within a few days of shipping. In another example we shipped brain surgery equipment was shipped on Wednesday and was being used by Friday/Saturday on a soldier’s brain.
These supplies are used at aid stations so the soldier can be stabilized and evacuated. Senior Sergeant Elena takes and sends us videos as a break in thinking/ working with the wounded.
“We are using your Foley catheters and your bandages. Thank you.”.
We recently sent the stabilization point the items I personally packed. I recognize most of the items being used from tourniquet, to ace bandages to gloves to foley catheter…
Nov 4, 2025
From Col Monte:
We received 14 boxes of medical supplies from our international shippers this morning. 7 weeks ago I had picked up many of these boxes of aid from Medical Missionaries and shipped to Kyiv.
Today we will sort them into individual hospital and surgeons boxes and then parcel post them overnight to hospitals and doctors.
Doctors all report that the aid that we receive from Medical Missionaries is necessary and significant in their care for citizens and soldiers. We are making a difference together in Ukraine.
Colonel Monte. Traveling Colonels, Kyiv 4 Nov 2025
Nov 4, 2025
From Col Monte:
This morning I picked up 14 boxes of medical supplies including 4 from Dr Gil and the team at Medical Missionaries. Great boxes of medical supplies for hospital and frontline clinics. I will be shipping theses boxes plus other donated supplies this afternoon to hospitals and stabilization points.
Sep 28, 2025
From Col Monte:
Great support via “Just Bill” from North Cotswold Rotary. Will receive pallets of aid in mid Oct if all goes well.
Sep 27, 2025
From Col Monte:
Thanks to Medical Missionaries for the great supplies. Antimicrobial dressing. and other wound care bandages. These are perfect and exactly what the forward facing aid stations and doctors are asking for in today’s battle of reducing infections in wounded Ukrainian soldiers!
Lviv neurosurgeon Dr Serhii sent his gratitude
Pretty strong written and unwritten message from a wartime brain surgeon doing spine and neurosurgery daily; he is personally orchestrating shifting donations across multiple hospitals and departments and sending a detailed report back on his actions.
He wants to ensure the Traveling Colonels medical aid continues to flow as it is making a significant difference to not only his Lviv military hospital but to other hospitals doctors soldiers. Reminds me of Dr Yuri’s message to me at the end of June when I was recovering from my surgery when he messaged; “…we are still here working in Zaporizhzhia… ie where are you and some aid??🤷♂️🇺🇸🇺🇦”
Other messages that Traveling Colonels received:
Dear Monte,
thank you for sending the devices. From the recent shipments, it was truly a find for our ophthalmologists. I divided them into three parts: one part I kept in our hospital, another part was sent to the emergency hospital in Lviv, the civilian hospital, and the third part went to the Volyn regional civilian hospital. They are incredibly happy and grateful to you. Furthermore, the previously sent devices are also working well, especially the dialysis machines for artificial kidneys. I have delivered them, and they continue to function properly. Thank you so much!
Aug 19, 2025
From Col Monte:
Last week we sent out about 23 kilos/50 pounds of prosthetic device feet, joints, rods, connecting clamps, screws and other asscessories for two different prosthetic builders.
Partners for World Health in Portland, Maine initially sent the prosthetic devices to the Traveling Colonels in Virginia. We shipped the parts to Kyiv and then onward to two prosthetic shops that we have personally verified. We forwarded them on to our two known prosthetic developers/builders.
This soldier was treated at the Uzhhorod hospital and rehabilitation center and given a new foot provided by the Traveling Colonels. Together we are helping to make soldier’s life better and aiding their rehabilitation and reentry into society.
Thanks for everyone’s support.
Colonel Monte Kyiv
The patient sends their thanks to Traveling Colonels:
“I was already seeing good results from my rehabilitation, but with this prosthetic foot, I realized I can do much more. It gives me new possibilities and confidence. I sincerely thank you for your support!”
Aug 19, 2025
From Col Monte:
Thanks to Nancy who is from the Clinton Ohio area and a friend of Colonel Chucks. Nancy lost her son but donated his coat, some of his boots, socks, health and comfort items and other items to help Ukraine.
Great leadership and community spirit by Chuck for his work helping others help Ukraine. Thanks
Aug 19, 2025
From Col Monte:
I sent a note to Dr Ivan bern center doctor in Lviv. He helped a Canadian volunteer that I asked him to treat at his burn center. Sent him a note of thanks this morning
yes I know -never really off. Always the eletronic tether of the cell phone.
And here I am asking questions of you on your days off.I saw a picture of Mac Hughes the Canadian soldier yesterday who I asked you to help. Mac is recovering well it seems and is back in Kyiv. We will visit him today or tomorrow.
I just wanted to thank you from Mac, all of our volunteer team and Mac’s family for your help and care during these hard times.
Sincerely, Monte
Dr Ivan replied back-
I also want to thank you for your help in providing us with everything we need. This is so that we can help and treat our soldiers and people suffering from war much better and more efficiently. I wish I didn’t have a job – but unfortunately I do. I live in hope for a better future for our children, my people, my Ukraine. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your help and support. With respect
Aug 17, 2025
From Col Monte: Not always easy helping surgeons and hospitals in distant locations under external pressures and conditions. Looks like the medical support we gave recently to Zaporizhzhia Pediatric is certainly being used -at least in this case.
Aug 15, 2025
From Col Monte: A quick 50 seconds of some of the big work flow steos needed to get items from a government surplus warehouse in Pennsylvania to close to the frontlines.
Col Monte, The Traveling Colonels, Kyiv 15 Aug 25
Aug 13, 2025
From Col Monte: 16 boxes from Steve Nash, who has been awarded the most improved volunteer for 2025 to date. Steve has done great work sending aid forward with help from his brother, and his niece with her graphics and social media help.
Everyone is making a difference. Chuck continues to excel at high end medical devices, gaining support from his community for Ukraine and the Traveling Colonels, Tara has boxes coming to Kyiv and we are anxious to get them into play.
Daniel has doggedly run down medical aid in SoCalif from his contacts having started at zero to having a lot of boxes flowing. We shipped out a lot of gauze and other government surplus items such as the stab pt asperator Dennis helped ship over for me.
Dr Dave sent over his medical practice instruments for use in Ukraine. Dutch Jan did a fundraiser, Canadian Jan sent supplies, my daughter just sent 353 handmade face masks/ scarfs, my sister sent quilts from our hometown church quilters… All helps us help Ukraine!🇺🇦🇺🇸
All tied in with the deployed team. David is fulltime in Kyiv, Jan came to Kyiv recently, and Tim is here now. Vladie helps with cultural understanding, translation support, legal advice and logistics help. Steve will come in Sept and of course Col Chuck just finished his award winning 15th trip to support Ukraine. Everyone is heavily involved.
Thank you for the support!
July 18th, 2025
July 16th, 2025
Our friend Canadian Mac getting burn care in St Marks burn center Lviv. Big win and better care, I think, for him versus Kyiv community hospital on left bank. Just my opinion
July 15th, 2025
Colonel Monte is back in Kyiv. He sent us this video.
Medical supplies from Medical Missionaries, MedWish, and other groups and T-Shirts from Don for the soldiers in rehabilitation and ongoing care. Great support from many groups. Traveling Colonels helping Ukraine with support from a large team.
Our Ukrainian buddy, and fellow humanitarian, Seva (proper spelling) is at boot camp having been conscripted 5 weeks ago. Once out of boot camp we are hoping for a drone unit assignment. But it all depends on being able to pull some strings and luck.
Seva just video called. He seems up beat. Complained about the food, uniform quality, cheap no good boots (he has a good pair) so sounds like normal soldiers life at boot camp. Food is pretty bad and not enough. He has lost weight, same as I did at OCS, but we have been sending him some cash for food, snacks, cigs…
This page has the latest updates from the Traveling Colonels. You can find updates from November 2024 through June 2025 as well as older updates.