C25 was a convoy with varying elements participating in their own rights, with defined aims, under the umbrella of a UFC convoy. The usual en-route risk assessments were magnified by the much-publicised Russian drone incursions into Polish airspace on 10 Sep, just when C25 was due to cross from Germany into Poland. But the convoy continued ahead as planned.
CONVOY COMPOSITION
Initial aspirations that the convoy would consist of 6 vehicles were not realised when Dmytro was unable to participate with his van. The 5 vans and their drivers were:
Vehicle 1: Vauxhall Movano (Andy – convoy leader, Robert)
Vehicle 2: Citroen Dispatch (Rob and Digby )
Vehicle 3: Ford Transit (Jon – deputy convoy Leader)
Vehicle 4: Ford Transit (Tony and Victoria)
Vehicle 5: Vauxhall Movano (Mike and Charles)
CONVOY MISSIONS/AIMS/DATES
All vehicles drove to Kyiv in convoy after which they diverged to separate locations, with individual missions. Two vehicles set off on Monday 8 September, meeting with the three others at motorway services. The convoy then headed to Dover to board the P&O freight ferry to Calais. From there a 3 hour drive ensued to the overnight stop in Eindhoven, NL.
The following two days saw progress onwards from Eindhoven through Germany to Eastern Poland via a visit to Colditz, for those that chose to do so, before crossing into Poland and on to the border with Ukraine.
On Thursday 11th we crossed the border into Ukraine – a 4 hour process. The delays were caused by unhelpful Polish border officials. The convoy drove to Kyiv where 2 hotels were used due to a booking misunderstanding.
From Kyiv elements of the convoy split. Andy and Robert drove to Dnipro. Others, went to Kharkiv on disparate missions.
ANDY AND ROBERT TO D’NIPRO
Andy and Robert’s trip to drop-off their aid cargo in Dnipro went well. All aid was handed over to Max, a great friend of UFC, as planned, at his refugee shelter and warehouse. He planned to forward all aid to the intended military recipients on or near the frontline and to civilian organisations elsewhere eg hospitals. A short chat between Andy and Max at the shelter was recorded so he could explain where the aid would be distributed onwards from Dnipro. He also wanted to record his thanks to all those involved with UFC and its aid collection, sorting and delivery by all the UFC volunteers. Andy and Robert had dinner with Max, his family and 3 serving soldiers, one of whom had lost a leg in the conflict 2 years previously.
On Saturday, Andy and Robert started the drive back to UK RV’ing with Mike and Charles SE of Kyiv to drive 2 vans back to UK with just 3 drivers, Charles leaving to fly back from Kyiv.
The border crossing from Ukraine to Poland on Sunday took a tedious 8 hours to complete, mainly due to under-staffing of Polish border officials. A hotel in a rural Polish village was found on spec some 3 hours after crossing the border.
The following night was spent in Eindhoven before catching the 1200 freight ferry from Calais to Dover on Tuesday. Mike drove to return his van to the owner in Devizes whilst
Andy and Robert arrived back at the barn c.1800. Of note Mike’s van (then vehicle 1) needed nursing home for mechanical reasons. Unfortunately on handing over the vehicle it was suggested that the vehicle had been damaged on one side and on the roof – allegations completely denied by Andy and Robert who had driven the van for nearly all the trip until return to UK. (See lessons learned below).
JON, VICTORIA AND TONY TO KHARKIV & KYIV
Meanwhile, Jon, Victoria and Tony departed Kyiv on Friday 12th heading to Kharkiv. En route, in a most bizarre encounter, Victoria met an old school friend from Scotland in a service station. Understandably he was slightly ‘thrown’ given that they last saw each other 30+ years ago!
The first Van went direct to their drop off . The other 2 vans arrived in Kharkiv mid-afternoon and went straight to the warehouse drop off the aid having met their nominated point of contact. She had a team of volunteers on standby to help unload the medical aid, including her son who was back from the front line. They then had a catch-up meeting with her about the medical aid that UFC sends her.
Deliveries to Kharkiv included fire-fighting equipment from a fire brigade in southern UK, spare parts for a mini-bus that was previously donated to be used as an ambulance, a mobility scooter, wheelchairs, and medical consumables such as catheters, filters, and endotracheal tubes to be used in operating theatres and hospital settings. 80% of the medical aid that UFC sends to Kharkiv goes to hospitals and the rest of it is distributed to front line stabilisation stations, some to smaller clinics and care homes.
On Saturday 13th the team returned to Kyiv, RV’ing with Charles and Mike in Kharkiv and then Andy and Robert in a service station. Two vans stayed overnight in Kyiv and on Saturday evening, the drivers met with Vlodomyr, a consultant anaesthetist to discuss how best to support him. On Sunday morning aid was dropped off at a Kyiv warehouse to be collected by a team who operate a charity for people displaced from areas of fighting. They then continued to the Carpathian Mountains south of Lviv.
On Monday morning the drivers visited a school that has an exchange programme with a school in Shrewsbury and then continued to the Polish border (Medyka crossing – 3 hrs total crossing time) and stopped for the night west of Krakow.
Tuesday 16th was spent driving across Poland and Germany stopping overnight in the town of Soest. An early departure on Wednesday morning met the Antwerp rush hour traffic which delayed the team and pushed them to the 13.20 ferry so they arrived back home in Hampshire late afternoon.
MIKE AND CHARLES TO KHARKIV
Mike and Charles met Jon Victoria and Tony and departed for Kharkiv with Charles’ acquaintance Maria on board. She had a mother and her horses to visit, the latter at the first drop off on the north side of Kharkiv at a small ranch.
Mike and Charles split from other 2 vehicles en route and arrived at Maria’s drop-off at 15.30 where they were welcomed and served borscht and sticky buns and introduced to their horses and work. Then on to a brief stop at 2nd drop before arrival at our overnight hotel.
Dima and his dog training, female companion, arrived at 18.45 and on realising quantity of kit to be taken had to summon mates with a bigger van as they had arrived in a pick-up. While waiting, they kindly took the UFC drivers to a local café and treated them to supper and a beer. Then the kit handover was done, less the commode, which they didn’t have room for. Sirens were heard at 01.45 only and gunfire.
The following morning, they were joined by Andriiy, who was extremely grateful for the 36 Rab sleeping bags, though Google translate was required for the whole transaction. They then managed to catch up with Jon, Tony & Victoria in Freedom Square, where the commode was given to Jon!
ROB AND DIGBY IN KYIV AREA
A most fulsome report by Digby on what he and Rob achieved can be read here.