Natus Vincere, a Ukrainian esports team also known as Na'Vi, has announced that its entire organisation has pivoted to support of those affected by the continuing Russian invasion of the country.
"Every resident of Ukraine, including the NAVI employees, is doing everything possible," said the organisation in a public statement on its future. "More than 90% of our employees are now in Ukraine and are not going to leave the country. We take people out of the most dangerous regions and help them find housing. On our cars, volunteers daily deliver humanitarian aid around Kyiv and the region, and all NAVI clothes are distributed to people who spend the second week in cold bomb shelters, to children in hospitals and orphanages."
Tragically, three people were killed and 17 people were injured after a maternity and children's hospital in southern Ukraine was bombed by the Russian army. The attack occurred following a 12-hour ceasefire so that refugees could leave a number of towns and cities safely. Kyiv and the surrounding area are also suffering from airstrikes and military activity in spite of efforts to evacuate refugees.
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“Thanks to our military, the national guard, the border guards, the police, the Territorial Defense Forces and everyone who joined the defense of the state, we did not become slaves, and we never will,” said Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine, in a post to his Telegram account.
"NAVI as a club will soon restore its work in the format that is available under the given circumstances. We will start covering matches, posting videos and communicating on social media," continued the team and expressed its thankfulness for ESL and BLAST as well as the other teams that have taken a stance against the invasion. "The return to the 'normal' mode of operation does not mean that we will stop talking about the events in the country, pretending that everything is fine. Now more than ever it is important to speak up about what is happening here and support each other."
Featured Image Credit: Garry Knight via Flickr, NAVI via InstagramTopics: Esports