How Uber Ukraine Drivers Risked Their Lives to Rescue People From War Zones "I got a request to evacuate a family from the war zone – a mother, daughter and son, a boy with special needs. Near their house at that time, explosions, destruction and shelling were taking place. At the halfway point, I was turned around, but I knew I had to go back and save these people," Oksana, Uber driver, Ukraine. It took Oksana 28 hours to reach the family. In the first days after Russia’s invasion last year, Uber paused its service in Ukraine while it put in place new measures to keep its drivers and passengers safe. But as the war unfolded, the need for transportation grew, and city authorities in Ukraine asked Uber to reactivate its services. Since then, the company has doubled its footprint in Ukraine from 9 cities to 18. While more than 25,000 drivers have used its platform, Uber has also provided more than 350,000 free rides to refugees, displaced families, aid workers, and doctors across Ukraine.