Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, arrived in Ukraine to meet with company employees and drivers, as well as government and relief agency partners.
Since the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, Uber expanded its services from nine cities to eighteen, while employing 25,000 drivers in Ukraine.
In December 2022, Uber issued an official statement stating that the company would make a significant effort in 2023 to offer aid and support to Ukraine during the war, which would follow and build on its previous year’s actions.
Some of these efforts include providing a free, custom platform to the UN World Food Program, which is using it to manage the logistics of moving emergency food supplies across the country. In addition, the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture has received a customized version of Uber, which is being used to transport staff as they rescue Ukrainian works of art from the front lines. Additionally, free rides to and from the border have been donated for refugees, as well as to hospitals for doctors, nurses, and patients.
“As this terrible war stretches into a new year, the people of Ukraine need and deserve the world’s support more than ever,” the release said.
The company expects to operate in Ukraine “at a loss in order to offer lower prices to riders” and give “higher earnings for drivers,” according to Uber.
The sources for this piece include an article in Axios.