Yonkers native returns from mission to Ukraine

Mike Postupak spent three months on a self-funded trip to the Eastern European country as a volunteer with Task Force Yankee, an American organization that sends mostly former military personnel and medical professionals to Ukraine to provide tactical casualty care training.

"You can bleed out in two minutes," said Postupak. "What we want to do is just help people stay alive long enough until they can get help from either a medic or civilian emergency services."

Postupak, who is Ukrainian American and grew up in the tight-knit Ukrainian community in Yonkers, is a Marine veteran and thought his military experience could help save lives.

"I said I need to use this, and I did," said Postupak.

He traveled first to the front lines of the war to work with Ukrainian forces, but then went to Kyiv as bombs hit the capital city in October.

There he used the training he was providing to others, on people he pulled from damaged buildings.

He now carries rubble from those buildings in his pocket as a reminder that his homeland is still suffering.

"The harvest is great, but the workers are few," he said. "The need is still there."

Postupak hopes to return to Ukraine.

If you would like to help fund his trip and help humanitarian efforts in Ukraine you can make a financial donation to the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America.