Tomchuk O. Volunteer movement of assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the anti-terrorist operation (April 2014 – April 2018).

The paper comprehensively examines the history of the formation and development of the volunteer movement to assist the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) to liberate the territories occupied by the Russian Federation (2014 - 2018). It is noted that the peak of the movement's development was the middle of 2015, when there were more than 250 volunteer organizations specializing in solving problems caused by Russian aggression in the Crimea and eastern Ukraine. The main activities of the volunteers were: assistance to the Ukrainian army (collection and delivery of the necessary resources to the anti-terrorist operation zone), medical care for the wounded, assistance to refugees from the eastern occupied areas, release of prisoners, search for missing and dead soldiers. During the long aggression, a number of associations and organizations changed their directions of activity (or add new directions of work). The method of "oral history" highlights the activities of volunteers in the reception of ATO participants. It was established that volunteers, when traveling to the front line, acted as a source of information with a high rating of trust, especially when it came to "hot" news from the ATO zone. Recommendations and conclusions can be used to support an effective decision-making process, improve the mechanism for ensuring transparency and openness of volunteer organizations, their close cooperation with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.