From Prague's streets to the front lines: City donates abandoned cars to Ukraine

Every year, dozens of vehicles are abandoned on the streets of Prague and eventually end up in the city’s tow yard in Dubeč. Many are never claimed and are typically auctioned or scrapped after three years. Now, some of those vehicles are being given a new lease on life at a new destination: the front lines of Ukraine.

Under a new initiative backed by Prague City Hall, the Czech capital has donated eight unclaimed vehicles to the nonprofit organization Neohnutí, which specializes in repurposing cars for humanitarian and military support in Ukraine. The program is expected to expand, with additional vehicles already being prepared for transfer.

The idea originated with Jiří Ptáček, a Prague City Councilor from the TOP 09 party, who learned about Neohnutí’s work through social media. After visiting the city’s storage facility in Dubeč—where unclaimed vehicles await either sale or destruction—Ptáček proposed donating suitable cars to the organization instead.

“These are wrecks or abandoned cars that must sit in the tow yard for three years to see if anyone claims them,” Ptáček writes on Facebook. “Some would have gone to the scrapyard. But in a workshop in Ukraine, they’ll be rebuilt and returned to service—turned into buggies or pickups that go on missions at the front line.”

So far, six cars and two vans have been selected for refurbishment. While most of the vehicles have not been operational for years and are missing keys, Neohnutí plans to repair them and arrange the necessary paperwork before sending them to Ukraine. According to Ptáček, around 100 such vehicles accumulate each year.

The donated cars have no book value for the city and were considered assets destined for liquidation. But through this initiative, they are being transformed into practical tools for frontline operations—used for transport, medical evacuation, or logistical support.

Founded as a human rights-focused nonprofit, Neohnutí expanded its mission in 2022 to include aid for those affected by the war in Ukraine. The organization now coordinates the delivery of small utility vehicles to areas impacted by conflict, where they enhance the mobility of humanitarian teams and support the transport of the wounded.

Though based in the Jičín region, Neohnutí operates throughout Czechia and abroad, adapting its assistance to meet changing needs. In addition to supplying vehicles, the group also organizes food and medical supply drives, supports refugees, and aids socially vulnerable groups.

“We can't and won’t remain idle in the face of suffering,” the organization says in its mission statement. “We believe good is contagious—and we want the world to be a better place to live.”