Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher Raise Millions for Ukraine

Ukrainian-born actress Mila Kunis and her husband Ashton Kutcher have raised over $18 million for the people of Ukraine.

Their fundraiser, which was launched on GoFundMe last Thursday, has a goal of $30 million to go to AirBnb, which is offering free temporary housing to Ukrainian refugees, and Flexport, which is sending goods and food to refugees who have fled to neighboring countries like Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Moldova, and Romania.

More than 30,000 people have donated to the fund since its launch; donations range from $5 to the highest gift of $3 million, which was offered by Kunis and Kutcher themselves.

Actors Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher raise millions for Ukraine

Kunis was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine and came to America with her family shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union at the age of seven.

“Today, I am a proud Ukrainian. While my family came to the United States in 1991, I was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine in 1983. Ukrainians are proud and brave people who deserve our help in their time of need. This unjust attack on Ukraine and humanity at large is devastating and the Ukrainian people need our support,” Kunis wrote on the GoFundMe page.

“While we are witnessing the bravery of Ukrainians, we are also bearing witness to the unimaginable burden of those who have chosen safety. Countless amounts of people have left everything they know and love behind to seek refuge. With nothing but what they could carry, these Ukrainian refugees are in need of housing and supplies right away,” a statement on the fundraiser’s page reads.

For this reason, Kunis and Kutcher decided to donate funds to Flexport and Airbnb, two organizations “who are actively on the ground providing immediate help to those who need it most.”

Kunis and Kutcher released an update on their fundraiser’s progress on Sunday. On Instagram, Kutcher wrote “UPDATE!! 15 million. We are halfway to our goal. Thank you for the support!”

Since that post, the fundraiser has received over $3 million more in donations.

UN: One million people have fled Ukraine

Last week, the head of the United Nations refugee agency said more than one million people have fled Ukraine since Russian forces invaded the country. Now, officials say over two million have left their homeland in search of safety.

Filippo Grandi said in a post on Twitter on Thursday:

“In just seven days we have witnessed the exodus of one million refugees from Ukraine to neighboring countries. For many millions more, inside Ukraine, it’s time for guns to fall silent, so that life-saving humanitarian assistance can be provided.”

Most refugees are heading to Poland and Moldova, but they are also going to Romania, Slovakia and Hungary; nearly 5,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Greece.

According to figures released by the Greek government, 4,649 refugees fleeing war in Ukraine have arrived in Greece as of Monday.

Additionally, 869 Ukrainian refugees came to Greece on Sunday alone, with 285 children amongst them.