Beyond killed innocent people and destroyed homes, there’s an aspect of Russia’s war that doesn’t get as much coverage — the systematic destruction of Ukraine’s natural world.
Continuous drone and missile attacks burn forests and kill wildlife. Land mines and explosives contaminate vast agricultural areas. Air pollution from regular strikes chokes entire regions. In heavily shelled territories, the land often lies scorched and poisoned.
Russia’s environmental crimes caused over €108 billion in ecological damage. Two million hectares of forests destroyed—an area the size of Slovenia or the state of New Jersey. More than 7,000 documented environmental crimes since the full-scale invasion began.
For rural Ukrainians, land is particularly valuable. When your survival depends on growing your own vegetables, keeping a few chickens, and preserving fruit for winter, contaminated soil and water become an existential threat.
After Ukrainian forces liberated some of their land from Russian occupiers, such as Kharkiv Oblast or parts of Kherson and Zaporizhizhia oblasts, the restoration work of various organizations and volunteers began. However, environmental experts predict it will take at least 15 years to restore Ukraine’s natural ecosystems. That assumes the war ends tomorrow and cleanup begins immediately.
But how do you fund massive ecological recovery while the war continues? How do you connect international supporters of Ukraine to specific farming communities that need help rebuilding their relationship with the land?
One Ukrainian charity found an unexpected answer: remember your childhood Tamagotchi?
The familiar beeping of a digital pet demanding attention once captivated millions in the late 1990s.
Now, that same sense of digital responsibility is being channeled toward a far more serious mission: restoring Ukraine’s devastated landscapes one tree at a time through an innovative app called Reroot.
From app to orchard: How Reroot works
Reroot works exactly like that childhood digital pet craze, except the stakes are real. The concept is elegantly simple: users worldwide can nurture virtual trees while volunteers plant actual fruit trees in Ukrainian communities recovering from Russian occupation and destruction.
How you can use Reroot app to help restore Ukraine’s ecology:
- Download and choose: Users get the app from Google Play or App Store and select a specific Ukrainian community they want to support — currently focused on eastern Kharkiv Oblast.
- Donate and plant: Users can choose between two models: monthly subscriptions for ongoing tree maintenance and care, or one-time contributions to support specific communities. All actions start with small donations of just $1.
- Track your impact: Users receive GPS coordinates, photographs, and regular updates showing exactly where their tree grows and how it’s developing
- Gamify restoration: As users stay engaged, they unlock new territories, can “water” and “fertilize” their trees, and plant different species.
Who is the target audience?
Reroot app focuses on the two main groups:
- international supporters looking for tangible ways to help Ukraine beyond headlines.
- Ukrainians in the diaspora who want to directly support communities in recovery.
When charity meets gaming
Reroot grew directly out of Rescue Now’s charity, which provides seeds, canning kits, greenhouses, and agricultural training to locals in de-occupied areas in Ukraine.
The project, launched in 2023, has already reached 164 settlements, supporting 43,959 people across five oblasts—Kharkiv, Donetsk, Sumy, Kherson, and Mykolaiv. More than 7,000 families in these frontline regions have received support to restore their gardens, resulting in over 600 tons of harvested crops for winter supplies and economic stability.
Anna Karyka, who directs Rescue Now organization, shared with Euromaidan Press that their efforts of restoring nature in war-affected areas also represented a way to give people back a sense of normalcy, safety, and a future.
That’s when she conceived the idea of expanding beyond local volunteer efforts by creating a digital tool to connect international supporters with Ukrainian communities.
“Tamagotchi became the perfect metaphor: once, millions cared for virtual pets – now, through a game, you can nurture a real tree in Ukraine,” Karyka explains.
“It’s an emotional bridge between a donation and its impact: you’re not just sending money, you’re watching your tree take root in war-torn soil and become a symbol of renewal,” she adds.
The app became reality through collaboration with Beetroot, a Swedish-Ukrainian tech company that had supported Rescue Now for years.
When Karyka pitched the Tamagotchi concept to Mykyta Tkachov, Beetroot’s Chief Delivery Officer, he immediately understood the potential.
As a company with roots in both Ukraine and Sweden, the war affects their colleagues, friends, and loved ones directly.
“The chance to use technology for good isn’t just another project—it’s deeply personal,” he reflects.
The team saw an opportunity to amplify Rescue Now’s powerful mission through their technical expertise, creating a platform that makes donating simple, transparent, and emotionally engaging.
Restoring life in liberated Ukrainian areas
With 25% of Ukrainian territory contaminated by mines and explosives, trees only get planted in thoroughly cleared areas where communities can actually care for them. Rescue Now works directly with local administrations and prioritizes Family-Type Children’s Homes.
First consideration goes to frontline regions that suffered the greatest loss of orchards and farmland, especially de-occupied areas.
“If we receive several requests, and one is from a de-occupied area, we will always prioritize it. Because for these people, even a few fruit trees are more than just a food source – they are a sign that life is returning.”
The foundation focuses exclusively on fruit and berry saplings. Project Manager Yuliia Babenko explains the practical reasoning:
“They help restore soil health, provide food for families, and bring new life to communities that have been deeply affected.”
Rescue Now director Karyka views the project as a first step on a longer journey toward recovery. While acknowledging the app remains in early development, she believes the need for such tools is already evident.
“This project is about healing – of both people and the land,” Karyka says. “It’s a symbol of resilience, renewal, and hope.”
What’s the accountability process?
Each user receives confirmation of their tree planting through photographs and stories about the communities where their trees were planted, transforming abstract donations into tangible, personal connections.
The team plans to enhance this accountability further with:
- interactive app updates showing tree growth
- more sophisticated “watering” and “fertilizing” options
- stories from people actually benefiting from harvests.
Rescue Now’s years of experience as an international foundation with clear reporting standards carries over into the app’s transparency approach.
“Our goal is for donors not only to know that their contribution made an impact – but to feel genuinely connected to the revival of life on Ukrainian soil,” Babenko explains.
From pilot to global platform: what’s next
The Reroot app remains in its early pilot phase—no trees have been planted yet through the app, though the broader ReRoot project has already supported thousands of families across five frontline regions.
The first planting through the app is scheduled for fall 2025, with the current version focusing on the core donation and tracking features.
Interactive elements like “watering” and “fertilizing” virtual trees will be added after the initial planting phase is complete. The 2025 goal is concrete: plant at least 1,000 trees in Kharkiv Oblast.
If the pilot succeeds, the expansion plans are ambitious. Karyka envisions scaling beyond Ukraine’s borders to create a global platform for green recovery in war zones and climate-damaged regions.
“Millions of users around the world are planting millions of trees in Ukraine, tracking their growth in the app – and eventually, this model will expand to other regions affected by war or climate disasters,” she explains.
But success metrics extend beyond user numbers or trees planted.
“It’s communities regaining the ability to feed themselves. It’s restored ecosystems bearing fruit for years to come. And it’s the feeling that the world is standing with those who have survived war,” Karyka emphasizes.
For those concerned about environmental destruction and seeking tangible ways to support Ukraine’s recovery, Reroot offers more than just another donation platform. The initiative provides ongoing connection to communities rebuilding their lives and landscapes where Russia’s war brought destruction and suffering.
Reroot proves that technology can create genuine bridges between global compassion and local healing. Sometimes, caring for something as simple as a digital tree can help restore an entire ecosystem—and with it, hope for the future.
The Reroot project is supported by Action Against Hunger and the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France.