Supporting a WOF-UA Grantee Whose Business Was Destroyed by Recent Attacks

While the U.S. was celebrating Independence Day on July 4th, Kyiv endured one of the most devastating attacks since the invasion of Ukraine. Fires erupted across six districts as Russia launched 550 aerial weapons in a relentless overnight assault. Casualties included the office and warehouse of La Rujé, a clothing brand founded by Women’s Opportunity Fund (WOF-UA) grantee Yevheniia Ruzhentseva, who has gained recognition for her eco-conscious lingerie and loungewear for plus-size women. Project Kesher Ukraine’s team had been eagerly anticipating a visit to her studio, but was instead met with a heartbreaking message: “There’s nowhere to go anymore. Everything burned down.” As she shared in a recent social media post, every product, document and piece of equipment has been destroyed.

Though devastated, Yevheniia’s spirit remains unbroken and she is determined to raise her business again, as so many Ukrainian women have done before. WOF-UA continues to stand beside her and other Ukrainian entrepreneurs, offering support, solidarity and help rebuilding.