Netflix Founder Donates $5M to Ukraine Combat Medics

Former Netflix CEO Reed Hastings is stepping up his support for Ukraine with a $5 million donation that will save lives on the battlefield.

The tech leader gave the funds to White Stork, a charity that equips combat medics with anti-drone jamming systems and medical supplies. As Ukraine's war with Russia enters its fourth year, the gift couldn't come at a more critical time.

The donation addresses a deadly new threat facing Ukrainian medics. Russia is now flying weaponized drones directly into evacuation vehicles as they transport wounded soldiers to safety.

White Stork will use Hastings' gift to produce 80 jamming systems per month. These devices blast electromagnetic noise at drone radio frequencies, essentially blinding the weapons. Each system costs up to $7,000.

"The resource needs of Ukrainian combat medics are shifting as technology evolves on the battlefield," said William McNulty, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who heads White Stork's mission. "Medics must navigate a gauntlet of killer Russian drones that are persistently monitoring and relentlessly targeting anything that moves along the front line."

The anti-drone equipment joins White Stork's other lifesaving supplies. The organization has delivered more than 174,000 combat first aid kits, 471 jamming systems, de-mining equipment, kevlar blankets, and body armor since the war began.

THE RIPPLE EFFECT

Hastings' donation does more than protect individual soldiers. White Stork purchases 100% of jamming system components and 67% of first aid kit parts from Ukrainian manufacturers, strengthening the country's domestic defense industry.

"His donation provides Ukrainian soldiers with lifesaving technology and helps build up our defense industry through domestic production," said Alexander Kamyshin, Ukraine's presidential advisor for strategic affairs. The strategy reduces Ukraine's reliance on foreign hardware donations while creating jobs and expertise that will last beyond the war.

This marks Hastings' third major gift to Ukraine. He donated $2 million to White Stork last year and gave $1 million to Razom for emergency relief before that.

The pattern fits Hastings' broader philanthropy, which has included $120 million to historically Black colleges, $30 million to global immunization efforts, and $50 million for AI research in the humanities.

White Stork takes its name from Ukraine's national bird, a fitting symbol for an organization helping wounded soldiers take flight to safety.