By Marion Filler
As the war in Ukraine drags on, its beleaguered population must rely upon the continued support of its allies, and most especially the United States.
Brian Moscioni, 30, of Mendham, is the American representative of Project Konstantin, raising funds for badly needed medical equipment and transport vehicles on the frontlines of the battle.
After five years in the Navy and two-and-a-half on Wall Street, Moscioni found himself drawn to what was happening in Ukraine.
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“Right before the first invasion, I was up all night watching the news even though I had to go to work the next day. I was streaming it at my desk while at work and I just decided, hey you know what? I’m not going to be a person who just sits here and sends my regards. I’m going to be a person that gets up and offers a hand in the best way I know how.”
“The Navy instilled a sense of service within me,” said Moscioni. “After I left, I had a strong feeling that there was more for me to do. In fact, the first thing I did was to join the Mendham Borough Fire Department and found camaraderie and a way to help.”
The first of Moscioni’s three trips to Ukraine happened almost immediately after the war began. Like all his subsequent trips, he used vacation time from work. The conflict was so new that there was no organization set up on the ground, said Moscioni.
“So I just hopped a plane, rented a car, drove over the border and found places where help was needed.
“I met a lot of Ukrainians. I saw the adversity and hardship up front and that changed me. I’ve only read about these kinds of struggles and seen them on T.V. Being there is a totally different experience, and I want to do what I can.”
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It’s not an easy trip. Moscioni first flew to Poland, followed by a 24-hour train ride to Ukraine. Another time, he flew to Moldova, where he took a bus to Odessa and then a train to war-torn towns in Ukraine — again traveling for 24 hours.
Just last month, he returned from the eastern front near Bakhmut, where the detritus of war is everywhere. “Every single school that I saw in frontline towns was either bombed or struck with a missile. Every single one.”
According to Moscioni, Project Konstantin is an international, all-volunteer organization embedded within Ukrainian brigades as a vital component of their medical team. Its members come from 10 countries, evacuating casualties to locations where they can be treated.
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They work around the clock, and have transported more than 170 wounded soldiers, and more than 22 bodies of those killed in action.
“The work is exhausting, never-ending, emotionally defeating and numbing,” said Moscioni. “Regardless, at their core, they are a grassroots organization that strives to accomplish a large impact with little resources and no fiscal base other than online fundraising and donor support.
“On the evening of June 27, 2023, while I was with the team in Ukraine, we responded to the civilian missile strike on a restaurant in Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region. The attack made headlines around the world as the highest civilian casualty incident in months. Project Konstantin arrived at the scene, shortly after the impact, and assisted where we could.”
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His priority at the moment is to raise funds for an emergency response vehicle. There are just two in working order at the eastern front, resulting in excruciating wait times for soldiers who are in pain and dying. “It’s tragic,” said Moscioni.
The organization is soliciting donations here for the vehicle.
During a recent fundraiser in a Mendham parking lot, where Moscioni sat amidst posters and flags, he was surprised by the mixed reaction from passersby.
Some were happy to make donations, but others referred to the conflict as “Biden’s war” and questioned why the U.S. is helping Ukraine and not other trouble spots around the world.
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“If I can’t help all of them, then I can’t help a single one? Is that your solution?” was his reaction.
He was asked to leave the parking lot “because the war in Ukraine is too contentious of a subject and too political.
“There is nothing political or contentious or polarizing about genocide,” said Moscioni. “I would love to show support to the Ukrainians and say, ‘Hey, there’s a bunch of Americans here in New Jersey that believe in your cause and want to help.’ “