Builder to deliver fleet of vehicles to Ukraine

A semi-retired builder is making his biggest trip yet to Ukraine to deliver a fleet of vehicles to support the war effort.

Bruce Burrow from Newnham-on-Severn, Gloucestershire, is setting off on the 2,000 mile journey to the Army Veterans Volunteer Centre in Cherkasy.

He has already been out to Ukraine several times to deliver food and supplies but this time he is leading a convoy of five vehicles which will be used on the front line.

Burrow said he was "determined to do something to help" and that these vehicles will "make a terrific difference".

Burrow said he was inspired to help as soon as the war started almost four years ago.

"I think it affected me as it affected a lot of people, really quite a shock", he said.

In his first trip to the country he took around 2.5 tonnes of food and supplies over to the Romanian-Ukrainian border and distributed it amongst the refugees.

He said: "People there were so welcoming.

"I asked this Ukrainian guy whether I could park in a field out there and he said, no, park in my garden and invited me to his house, got the vodka out," Burrow added.

During his time there he realised one of the things they did want was vehicles and that he thought that was something he could help with and a few months later he took the first few vehicles across.

This time he will be joined by two medics, Philip Pritchard and Alison Green, who both offered to cover the cost of the journey, accommodation and then a flight home for the three of them.

The team are going against travel advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office which states that there is an ongoing risk of harm to British nationals from Russian attacks across all of Ukraine and advices against all travel to a large part of the country.

Burrow has sourced all the vehicles, including two Ford Ranger pick-up trucks, locally with the help of friends and family.

"They've been really generous and I can only afford these which are nearly 20-year-old vehicles, but they are pretty reliable," he said.

Burrow added the "effort that the Ukrainian people have shown, the determination, the tenacity is incredible".

"So I really feel that this is just a small thing that I can do that is of some help".

Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.