British-Ukrainian man set for 152-mile charity walk

A British-Ukrainian man is training for a 152-mile (245km), six-day walk, to raise money for families in east Ukraine.

Dan Zenchuk, 37, born in Peterborough to Ukrainian parents, will walk between 28 March and 2 April.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered troops into two rebel-held regions in eastern Ukraine, after recognising them as independent states.

Mr Zenchuk said he "wanted to do something personal" to support Ukraine.

He will walk to locations where the first letter of each spell out "Ukraine".

Mr Zenchuk begins in Uppingham in Rutland, before heading to Kettering (Northamptonshire), Rugby (Warwickshire), Ashby de la Zouch (Leicestershire), Ilkeston (Derbyshire), Newark (Nottinghamshire), and finishes in Empingham (Rutland).

The daily distance will vary from 15 miles (24km) to 36 miles (58km) a day, he said.

The money raised will be used to provide humanitarian aid through the Support Ukraine UK Appeal.

Russia said troops have not yet been deployed but will be "peacekeeping" in the regions of Ukraine it has backed since 2014.

Fears over an invasion have been rising in recent months, as Russia has massed some 150,000 troops along Ukraine's borders, according to US estimates.

Mr Zenchuk said "it was a great shock" to hear Mr Putin declare Luhansk and Donetsk as independent.

He said it was "still unbelievable really, there certainly a lot of anger," over Mr Putin's actions and speech on Monday when he described eastern Ukraine as "ancient Russian lands".

"Deep down you don't want to believe something like that can happen," he added.

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