How Amazon is assisting in Ukraine
December 1
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation highlights the impact of AWS’s technology support
On November 29, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov and AWS Director of Government Transformation Liam Maxwell signed a memorandum of understanding confirming continued cooperation in 2023.
At the signing event, the Deputy Prime Minister talked about the crucial role AWS has played in helping the Ukraine government maintain continuity and provide critical services to citizens since the onset of the war.
As part of this discussion, Fedorov said, “AWS made one of the biggest contributions to Ukraine’s victory by providing the Ukrainian government with access and resources for migrating to the cloud and securing critical information.” To date, Amazon has committed more than $75 million in support to help the people of Ukraine address both immediate and long-term needs. Amazon’s support includes the donation of millions of critical relief products—from medical supplies for Ukraine hospitals to blankets, food, toys, and books for refugees crossing the border to devices to help Ukrainian children continue their education as well as cloud computing support to help the government preserve vital Ukrainian government, education, and banking institution data, and more.
October 14
AWS launches IT Skills 4U to help Ukrainians gain skills and start tech careers
Amazon Web Services (AWS) launched IT Skills 4U, a free and comprehensive workforce-development initiative to connect Ukrainians with AWS-designed skills training and career-support services. Ukrainians around the world can choose from a range of AWS-designed courses, based on their level of information technology (IT) knowledge and learning goals. Course offerings range from cohort-based, 12-week programs to digital on-demand training, which learners can take at their own pace. Additionally, AWS is delivering dedicated, in-person, instructor-led classes in Poland. Through the program, Ukrainians can access free AWS Certification vouchers to help individuals take relevant exams and earn industry-recognized credentials that they can put on their resumes. IT Skills 4U also helps individuals connect to cloud jobs through personalized career support, job fairs, and other services. The program offers resume writing assistance, interview preparation sessions, and English and Polish language-learning classes. More than 30 AWS customers and partners have committed to offering Ukrainian learners permanent jobs, internships, apprenticeships, and traineeships in cloud computing roles. Read more.
At a press conference in Warsaw, Poland, leaders from Poland, Ukraine, and AWS announce the IT Skills 4U initiative, from left, President of the Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers (ZPP) Cezary Kazmierczak, Secretary of State for Digital Affairs in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister Janusz Cieszynski, Vice President of AWS Training and Certification Maureen Lonergan, and Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Valeria Ionan.
October 10
Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK thanks Amazon employees at company meeting
Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko attended Amazon’s global employee All-Hands Meeting in London to thank the company and its employees for supporting Ukraine’s government and the Ukrainian people.
During the employee address, Prystaiko said: “I am grateful to each and every one of you for supplying us with medicine, warm clothes, food, money. You open your wallets, your homes, and most importantly your hearts to many Ukrainians—millions of us—who had to find shelter outside of their own nation.”
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Amazon has donated more than $45 million in financial support, products, and cloud computing credits to nonprofits working on the ground to help the people and institutions of Ukraine. In addition to providing financial and technology support to Ukraine, Amazon has also provided more than 2 million aid items, such as medical supplies and critical relief products.
Just 10 days after Russia invaded Ukraine, Amazon set up two humanitarian aid hubs in Polandand Slovakia. The hubs continue to ship essential products, such as medical equipment and school supplies, to help refugees displaced by the war.
In July, the Ukrainian government awarded Amazon Web Services the Ukraine Peace Prize for helping the country, including by keeping vital government services operating, supporting Ukrainian customers and partners to keep their applications secure, and assisting the country in preserving its digital history.
October 6
Amazon removes referral fees for Ukrainian small businesses that sell their products on Amazon’s European stores
Small businesses in Ukraine are facing economic uncertainty amid the war in their country. To support and help our Ukrainian selling partners and their businesses, Amazon has removed the referral fee for small businesses that ship from Ukraine and sell on our European stores.
The referral fee is the percentage normally paid by companies selling on Amazon for each product sold. All eligible products from over 100 selling partners are automatically qualified for the waived referral fee for the next year—and we will keep this list updated.
We thrive to keep the small business economy vibrant and functioning. Small businesses are facing difficult circumstances in Ukraine, yet many of those business owners have maintained their entrepreneurial spirt. They need as much help as possible to continue operating so they can support their families and local communities.
We know recovering from this war will take many years. We will continue working to support the people of Ukraine, refugees, small businesses, and others in need.
September 1
Amazon supports Ukrainian students going back to school
From donating 32,000 backpacks with school supplies to providing 25,000 devices, Amazon is helping Ukrainian children access the tools they need to keep learning. Amazon has worked in countries across Europe to donate school supplies to help young Ukrainian refugees prepare for the new school year. Volunteers have also helped set up multimedia centers, complete with Amazon devices, to ensure the children have access language and learning support. Read more.
July 18
How AWS is helping Ukrainian students continue learning
With millions of families displaced, hundreds of schools damaged or destroyed, and infrastructure under constant threat, the education of Ukrainian students is at risk. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is working with schools and universities affected by the war in Ukraine to expand remote learning opportunities, preserve students’ research data, and provide training and services to refugees. Read more.
July 6
AWS receives Peace Prize from Ukraine government
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded Amazon Web Services (AWS) the Ukraine Peace Prize for the support AWS has shown the Ukraine government and the Ukrainian people. Teams from AWS have been working with Ukraine government officials to help keep vital government services operating, support Ukrainian customers and partners to keep their applications secure, assist the country in preserving its digital history, and more. The prize was handed to the AWS team by Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation, who saidthat AWS, “literally saved our digital infrastructure, [by enabling] state registries and critical databases to migrate to the AWS cloud.”
AWS is honored to be working alongside the Ukrainian government and other private and public organizations to support the people of Ukraine. We will continue to aid the Ukraine government and the Ukrainian people, bringing our technical expertise and services to those who need them.
July 1
Ukrainians reskill and upskill with AWS Cloud courses
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is now making two training programs, AWS Educate and AWS Academy, more accessible to Ukrainians. AWS Educate is a free online self-paced learning program. Anyone with an internet connection can access a large library of self-paced training and resources for new-to-cloud learners in Ukrainian as well as 11 other languages. AWS Educate provides an opportunity to learn and practice cloud skills, and helps learners connect with potential employers looking for cloud talent and posting job openings on AWS Educate. The AWS Educate job board currently lists over 30,000 job opportunities globally at AWS, AWS customer organizations, and AWS Partners. Similarly, AWS is working with two Polish universities—Warsaw School of Computer Science and WSB University in Dabrowa Gornicza—to make the AWS Academy Cloud Foundations course available to Ukrainian refugees. The course provides a detailed overview of cloud concepts, AWS core services, security, architecture, pricing, and support. This is an AWS-designed curriculum provided to the universities for free through AWS Academy and delivered in collaboration with Cloud Team, an AWS Training Partner. Through AWS’s collaborative effort, refugees can access the three-month course without enrolling at either university.
June 19
Amazon helps Ukrainians resettle with free delivery of essential products
Amazon is partnering with Welcome.US, local resettlement agencies, and community organizations to offer Ukrainian families free delivery and a total value of $2 million in donated products to help them resettle in the U.S. Read more.
June 9
Safeguarding Ukraine’s data to preserve its present and build its future
Before the Russian invasion, Ukrainian law required certain government data and select private sector data to be stored in servers physically located in Ukraine. A week before the Russian military invaded the country, Ukraine’s parliament passed legislation to allow government and private sector data to be moved to the cloud. To accomplish that, Ukrainian leadership put out a public call for help. Amazon Web Services (AWS) was among the first organizations to respond. AWS employees helped secure vital data so the Ukrainian government, education, and banking institutions can continue to serve Ukrainian people. Read more.
June 7
Amazon employees pack 200,000 hygiene kits for Ukrainian refugees
Amazon has committed to deliver 200,000 hygiene kits to partner charities, bringing together our employee volunteer network with Clean the World, a social enterprise focused on providing recycled soap and hygiene supplies to those who have limited access to these products. The Amazon-donated kits consist of basic supplies—including soap, shampoo, and toothpaste—and will be distributed to families in Ukraine and refugees in surrounding countries. Read more.
May 12
How Amazon employees helped a peer’s family escape the war in Ukraine
Daria Sokol shares her parents’ harrowing story of fleeing the war and the way colleagues around the globe supported them with meals, lodging, and kindness. Learn more.
AWS-powered app helps healthcare workers track medical supplies in Ukraine
The Ukrainian Ministry of Health and Ukraine public health agencies sought a centralized tool that would help doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers request and track incoming supplies and monitor capacity at nearby hospitals, to better treat the wounded. With support from Amazon Web Services, XCH—a provider of situational awareness and incident management software tools to support health care providers in times of crisis—launched the Ukrainian Humanitarian Aid and Assistance System to facilitate the communications required to provide emergency responders with real-time data for supply management. Learn more.
April 22
Amazon continues donating to help Ukrainian refugees
The company’s donations now total over $35 million including financial support, products, and cloud computing credits. Read more.
April 18
Amazon joins Welcome.US CEO Council
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy joins 35 senior executives from other companies to launch a new effort to support resettlement, upskilling, and hiring of refugees coming to the U.S. Learn more.
April 14
Amazon donates more than 30,000 medical supplies to hospitals in Ukraine
The Amazon U.S. disaster relief hub in Atlanta, Georgia is partnering with a medical non-governmental organization to send supplies to doctors and nurses on the front lines. Read more.
April 11
Digital Ukrainian artifacts saved by cultural heritage professionals using AWS
AWS supports grassroots organization Saving Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online to replicate and securely store Ukraine’s digital content focused on culture and history. Read more.
April 8
Amazon offers free legal resources to help Ukrainian refugees
Amazon attorneys are leading a pro bono humanitarian initiative to develop free legal guidebooks for refugees seeking resettlement in Europe. Read more.
March 31
Amazon opens second humanitarian aid hub in Poland
New humanitarian hub in Poland to help Ukrainian refugees, along with the previously opened hub in Slovakia. Read more.
March 28
AWS contributes technology resources to support humanitarian relief
Over the past month, nonprofit, government, and commercial customers have requested assistance in accelerating important humanitarian efforts that are helping millions of refugees and people within Ukraine and surrounding countries. Read more.
March 24
Amazon launches employment support program for refugees
Amazon has launched Welcome Door, a new program to provide refugees employed by the company with additional resources and support—including free legal assistance on their path to citizenship. Ukrainian refugees hired by Amazon will have access to this new initiative, which will be available in the U.S next month and expand globally by the end of this year. Read more.
March 22
Amazon launches humanitarian aid hub in Slovakia
Built in just 10 days, Amazon’s new humanitarian hub will help relief organizations provide faster support to Ukrainian refugees. Read more.
Amazon signs The Tent Partnership for Refugees
More than 3 million people have been forced to leave their homes in Ukraine. We are proud to support immediate and longer-term needs of Ukrainians through the Tent Partnership. Learn more.
March 8
Updates to Amazon’s retail, entertainment, and AWS businesses
Amazon has suspended shipment of retail products to customers based in Russia and Belarus and will no longer provide customers with access to Prime Video in Russia. Read more.
March 4
Amazon’s cybersecurity assistance for Ukraine
Note: This post was updated on March 8 to include the fact that AWS is no longer accepting new sign-ups based in Russia or Belarus.
AWS has been working closely with Ukrainian customers and partners to keep their applications secure. Teams of Account Managers, Security Specialists, Solutions Architects, and other technical professionals are working around the clock to help customers and partners at this critical time. Read more.
February 28
Amazon is working with NGOs and employees to offer immediate support to the people of Ukraine
Amazon is donating $5 million to organizations that are providing critical support on the ground in the Ukraine and matching up to $5 million in additional donations from employees. Read more.
