Ukraine-born Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher vow to match $3M in donations for refugees
“Proud Ukrainian” Mila Kunis and her husband, Ashton Kutcher, have pledged to match up to $3 million in donations to help refugees fleeing her native country amid the conflict with Russia.
The Hollywood couple launched a “Stand With Ukraine” GoFundMe campaign on Thursday with the goal of raising $30 million for Flexport.org and Airbnb.org, which, they said, are “two organizations who are actively on the ground providing immediate help to those who need it most.”
Kunis was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine — then part of the Soviet Union — and moved with her family to the United States at the age of 7. While acknowledging all that America has done for her and her family, she said she couldn’t forget her roots.
“Today, I am a proud Ukrainian,” the “Black Swan” star said in a statement shared on the fundraising page. “Ukrainians are proud and brave people who deserve our help in their time of need.”
“Our family is starting this fund to help provide immediate support,” she wrote, “and we will be matching up to $3 million dollars.”
According to the fundraising page, the freight transporter Flexport is organizing shipments of relief supplies to refugee sites in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova. Nonprofit Airbnb.org is providing free, short-term housing to refugees fleeing Ukraine.
Kunis also appeared alongside her husband in a video shared to his Instagram account, where she spoke out about the “devastating” conflict in Ukraine.
“The events that have unfolded in Ukraine are devastating. There is no place in this world for this kind of unjust attack on humanity,” Kunis said.
In the clip, Kutcher, 44, applauded the “bravery of the people of the country that (Kunis) was born in” while emphasizing to his 4.4 million Instragram followers “the needs of those who have chosen safety.”
The couple are the latest stars to show their support for Ukrainians affected by the conflict. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are also fundraising to help the country’s refugees.
“In 48 hours, countless Ukrainians were forced to flee their homes to neighboring countries. They need protection. When you donate, we’ll match it up to $1,000,000, creating double the support,” Reynolds wrote Saturday on Twitter, promoting donations to the United Nations refugee agency.
According to the U.N., one million refugees have fled Ukraine in just a week.
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Ukraine-born Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher vow to match $3M in donations for refugeesRussian Defense Ministry Press Service photo via AP, File
MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian invasion of Ukraine is the largest conflict that Europe has seen since World War II, with Russia conducting a multi-pronged offensive across the country.
The Russian military has pummeled wide areas in Ukraine with airstrikes and has conducted major rocket and artillery bombardments, resulting in large numbers of casualties.
In this frame grab provided by Russian Defense Ministry press service, a long-range Kalibr cruise missile is launched by a Russian Navy ship in the eastern Mediterranean, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016.Â
Here is a look at some of the weapons being used in the conflict:
Russian Defense Ministry Press Service photo via AP, FileMOSCOW (AP) — The Russian invasion of Ukraine is the largest conflict that Europe has seen since World War II, with Russia conducting a multi-pronged offensive across the country.
The Russian military has pummeled wide areas in Ukraine with airstrikes and has conducted major rocket and artillery bombardments, resulting in large numbers of casualties.
In this frame grab provided by Russian Defense Ministry press service, a long-range Kalibr cruise missile is launched by a Russian Navy ship in the eastern Mediterranean, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016.Â
Here is a look at some of the weapons being used in the conflict:
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Ukraine-born Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher vow to match $3M in donations for refugeesRussian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File
The Russian military has used warplanes and Kalibr (Caliber) cruise missiles to hit facilities throughout the country.
The Kalibr is a precision weapon, but Ukrainian military facilities and government buildings apparently targeted by those missiles in Kyiv and Kharkiv are located close to residential areas, resulting in civilian casualties.
The same applies to missiles carried by Russian warplanes, which targeted military infrastructure in strikes that also involved collateral damage.
In this image provided by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service and released on Friday, June 23, 2017, long-range Kalibr cruise missiles are launched by a Russian Navy ship in the eastern Mediterranean.Â
Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, FileThe Russian military has used warplanes and Kalibr (Caliber) cruise missiles to hit facilities throughout the country.
The Kalibr is a precision weapon, but Ukrainian military facilities and government buildings apparently targeted by those missiles in Kyiv and Kharkiv are located close to residential areas, resulting in civilian casualties.
The same applies to missiles carried by Russian warplanes, which targeted military infrastructure in strikes that also involved collateral damage.
In this image provided by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service and released on Friday, June 23, 2017, long-range Kalibr cruise missiles are launched by a Russian Navy ship in the eastern Mediterranean.Â
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Ukraine-born Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher vow to match $3M in donations for refugeesRussian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File
To hit key targets, the Russian military also has used Iskander missiles that have a range of up to 500 kilometers (around 300 miles) and carry a much more powerful warhead that can destroy big buildings and some fortified facilities. Some Iskander missiles were reportedly fired from the territory of Russian ally Belarus, which has served as a staging ground for the Russian invasion.
This undated file photo provided Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017, by Russian Defense Ministry official web site shows a Russian Iskander-K missile launched during a military exercise at a training ground at the Luzhsky Range, near St. Petersburg, Russia.
Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, FileTo hit key targets, the Russian military also has used Iskander missiles that have a range of up to 500 kilometers (around 300 miles) and carry a much more powerful warhead that can destroy big buildings and some fortified facilities. Some Iskander missiles were reportedly fired from the territory of Russian ally Belarus, which has served as a staging ground for the Russian invasion.
This undated file photo provided Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017, by Russian Defense Ministry official web site shows a Russian Iskander-K missile launched during a military exercise at a training ground at the Luzhsky Range, near St. Petersburg, Russia.
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Ukraine-born Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher vow to match $3M in donations for refugeesRussian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials have accused the Russian military of indiscriminately shelling residential buildings, schools and hospitals around the country.
Images from Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv that were verified by The Associated Press showed what appeared to be a barrage of Russian rockets hitting residential buildings in an attack that killed and wounded scores of civilians.
The Soviet-designed Grad (Hail), Smerch (Tornado) and Uragan (Hurricane) multiple rocket launchers are designed to fire a salvo of powerful rockets to destroy concentrations of troops or military equipment. Their use against populated areas inevitably causes heavy casualties and major damage to civilian infrastructure.
In this photo provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022. A Russian "Grad" missile launcher fires on the field taking part in a military drills in Murmansk region, Russia.Â
Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via APUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials have accused the Russian military of indiscriminately shelling residential buildings, schools and hospitals around the country.
Images from Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv that were verified by The Associated Press showed what appeared to be a barrage of Russian rockets hitting residential buildings in an attack that killed and wounded scores of civilians.
The Soviet-designed Grad (Hail), Smerch (Tornado) and Uragan (Hurricane) multiple rocket launchers are designed to fire a salvo of powerful rockets to destroy concentrations of troops or military equipment. Their use against populated areas inevitably causes heavy casualties and major damage to civilian infrastructure.
In this photo provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022. A Russian "Grad" missile launcher fires on the field taking part in a military drills in Murmansk region, Russia.Â
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Ukraine-born Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher vow to match $3M in donations for refugeesAP
Russian-made multiple rocket launchers "Smerch," front, and "Uragan", behind it, at a display on the first day of Moscow's International III Arms Exhibition in Moscow, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008.
APRussian-made multiple rocket launchers "Smerch," front, and "Uragan", behind it, at a display on the first day of Moscow's International III Arms Exhibition in Moscow, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008.
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Ukraine-born Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher vow to match $3M in donations for refugeesAP file
Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of using cluster munitions, accusations the Kremlin has denied.
Such weapons are designed to target enemy troops and weapons over a broad area, and their use in populated areas inevitably would lead to mass casualties among civilians.
Cluster bombs, rockets and artillery shells open in the air, releasing submunitions, or "bomblets," that are dispersed over a large area and simultaneously hit multiple targets.
Beyond the initial impact, bomblets have a high rate of failure to explode, posing a long-time threat of killing and maiming people for a long time after they were fired.
Thermobaric weapons consist of a fuel container and two separate explosive charges, with the first detonating to disperse the fuel particles and the second igniting the dispersed fuel and oxygen in the air, creating a blast wave of extreme pressure and heat that creates a partial vacuum in an enclosed space. That makes the weapon particularly deadly for people in an enclosed space.
The Pentagon has said that Russian mobile launchers for thermobaric weapons were spotted inside Ukraine, but couldn't confirm their use.
Activists and international delegations stand next to cluster bomb units, during a visit to a Lebanese military base in the southern town of Nabatiyeh, Lebanon, Monday Sept. 12, 2011.
AP fileUkrainian officials have accused Russia of using cluster munitions, accusations the Kremlin has denied.
Such weapons are designed to target enemy troops and weapons over a broad area, and their use in populated areas inevitably would lead to mass casualties among civilians.
Cluster bombs, rockets and artillery shells open in the air, releasing submunitions, or "bomblets," that are dispersed over a large area and simultaneously hit multiple targets.
Beyond the initial impact, bomblets have a high rate of failure to explode, posing a long-time threat of killing and maiming people for a long time after they were fired.
Thermobaric weapons consist of a fuel container and two separate explosive charges, with the first detonating to disperse the fuel particles and the second igniting the dispersed fuel and oxygen in the air, creating a blast wave of extreme pressure and heat that creates a partial vacuum in an enclosed space. That makes the weapon particularly deadly for people in an enclosed space.
The Pentagon has said that Russian mobile launchers for thermobaric weapons were spotted inside Ukraine, but couldn't confirm their use.
Activists and international delegations stand next to cluster bomb units, during a visit to a Lebanese military base in the southern town of Nabatiyeh, Lebanon, Monday Sept. 12, 2011.
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Ukraine-born Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher vow to match $3M in donations for refugeesRussian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File
The Russian military also has a wide range of powerful Soviet-designed artillery units, which were bizarrely named after flowers, such as self-propelled 203-mm Peony and 152-mm Hyacinth and Acacia self-propelled howitzers.
Moscow has claimed it was only targeting military bases and infrastructure, but the AP has documented massive damage to civilian infrastructure and residential areas in Kyiv, Kharkiv and numerous other cities and towns across Ukraine. Russian officials have alleged that Ukrainian forces have widely deployed heavy weapons in residential areas to use civilians as shields, a claim that couldn't be independently verified.
The U.N. human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, speaking at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Thursday, said "most civilian casualties were caused by the use of heavy artillery, multi-launch rocket systems and air strikes in populated areas, with concerning reports of use of cluster munitions striking civilian targets." She didn't specify which side may have used them.
FILE - In this photo taken from video and released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, multiple rocket launchers fire during the Belarusian and Russian joint military drills at Brestsky firing range, Belarus.Â
Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, FileThe Russian military also has a wide range of powerful Soviet-designed artillery units, which were bizarrely named after flowers, such as self-propelled 203-mm Peony and 152-mm Hyacinth and Acacia self-propelled howitzers.
Moscow has claimed it was only targeting military bases and infrastructure, but the AP has documented massive damage to civilian infrastructure and residential areas in Kyiv, Kharkiv and numerous other cities and towns across Ukraine. Russian officials have alleged that Ukrainian forces have widely deployed heavy weapons in residential areas to use civilians as shields, a claim that couldn't be independently verified.
The U.N. human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, speaking at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Thursday, said "most civilian casualties were caused by the use of heavy artillery, multi-launch rocket systems and air strikes in populated areas, with concerning reports of use of cluster munitions striking civilian targets." She didn't specify which side may have used them.
FILE - In this photo taken from video and released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, multiple rocket launchers fire during the Belarusian and Russian joint military drills at Brestsky firing range, Belarus.Â
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Ukraine-born Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher vow to match $3M in donations for refugeesAP file
The Ukrainian military has relied on the same assortment of Soviet-built multiple rocket launchers and howitzers that the Russian military has.
It doesn't possess sophisticated long-range precision weapons like Russia's Iskander ballistic missiles and Kalibr cruise missiles.
The Ukrainian military has Soviet-era Tochka-U short-range ballistic missiles, which have a powerful warhead but poor precision compared to the latest Russian weapons.
FILE - Ukrainian soldiers take part in an exercise for the use of NLAW anti-tank missiles at the Yavoriv military training ground, close to Lviv, western Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 28, 2022.Â
AP fileThe Ukrainian military has relied on the same assortment of Soviet-built multiple rocket launchers and howitzers that the Russian military has.
It doesn't possess sophisticated long-range precision weapons like Russia's Iskander ballistic missiles and Kalibr cruise missiles.
The Ukrainian military has Soviet-era Tochka-U short-range ballistic missiles, which have a powerful warhead but poor precision compared to the latest Russian weapons.
FILE - Ukrainian soldiers take part in an exercise for the use of NLAW anti-tank missiles at the Yavoriv military training ground, close to Lviv, western Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 28, 2022.Â
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Ukraine-born Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher vow to match $3M in donations for refugeesUkrainian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File
In addition to its aging Soviet-made arsenals, Ukraine has received large shipments of Western weapons, such as U.S.-made Javelin anti-tank missiles and shoulder-launched Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. Ukrainian officials said the country's military has used them to inflict heavy casualties to the invading Russian forces.
FILE - In this image taken from footage provided by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Press Service, a Ukrainian soldiers use a launcher with US Javelin missiles during military exercises in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022.Â
Ukrainian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, FileIn addition to its aging Soviet-made arsenals, Ukraine has received large shipments of Western weapons, such as U.S.-made Javelin anti-tank missiles and shoulder-launched Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. Ukrainian officials said the country's military has used them to inflict heavy casualties to the invading Russian forces.
FILE - In this image taken from footage provided by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Press Service, a Ukrainian soldiers use a launcher with US Javelin missiles during military exercises in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022.Â
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Ukraine-born Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher vow to match $3M in donations for refugeesAP file
The Ukrainian military also has used Bayraktar drones supplied by Turkey before the conflict. It has released a video showing an attack by Bayraktar against a Russian military convoy.
FILE - A Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone is seen during a rehearsal of a military parade dedicated to Independence Day in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Aug. 20, 2021.Â
AP fileThe Ukrainian military also has used Bayraktar drones supplied by Turkey before the conflict. It has released a video showing an attack by Bayraktar against a Russian military convoy.
FILE - A Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone is seen during a rehearsal of a military parade dedicated to Independence Day in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Aug. 20, 2021.Â
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Ukraine-born Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher vow to match $3M in donations for refugeesRussian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File
In this photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022, The Russian army's Iskander missile launchers take positions during drills in Russia.Â
Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, FileIn this photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022, The Russian army's Iskander missile launchers take positions during drills in Russia.Â
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Ukraine-born Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher vow to match $3M in donations for refugeesRussian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File
FILE - In this image taken from video and released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, Russian army's self-propelled howitzers fire during military drills near Orenburg in the Urals, Russia, Dec. 16, 2021.Â
Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, FileFILE - In this image taken from video and released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, Russian army's self-propelled howitzers fire during military drills near Orenburg in the Urals, Russia, Dec. 16, 2021.Â
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Ukraine-born Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher vow to match $3M in donations for refugeesAP file
FILE - Russian 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV self-propelled howitzers roll toward Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, May 9, 2021, marking the 76th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.
AP fileFILE - Russian 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV self-propelled howitzers roll toward Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, May 9, 2021, marking the 76th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.
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Ukraine-born Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher vow to match $3M in donations for refugeesRussian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File
FILE - In this photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, Russian troops fire howitzers during drills in the Rostov region during a military exercising at a training ground in Rostov region, Russia.Â
Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, FileFILE - In this photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, Russian troops fire howitzers during drills in the Rostov region during a military exercising at a training ground in Rostov region, Russia.Â
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Ukraine-born Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher vow to match $3M in donations for refugeesRussian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File
FILE - In this photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, a self-propelled artillery mount fires at the Osipovichi training ground during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills in Belarus.Â
Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, FileFILE - In this photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, a self-propelled artillery mount fires at the Osipovichi training ground during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills in Belarus.Â
