Volunteers grateful for aid on way to Ukraine

TENTH TRIP TO FRONT LINE WITH PLYMOUTH DONATIONS

- ANDY PHILLIPS

THE ongoing donations from residents in Plymouth have been praised by aid volunteers who set out on their latest trip to Ukraine last weekend.

Dialysis machines, wheelchairs and medical supplies were among the haul of donations collected by two volunteers who were making their 10th trip to Ukraine from Plymouth.

Andreas Evangelou and Maksym Litvinov carried the aid in a custompainted 4x4 vehicle towing a caravan, both of which are also being donated to a key front-line brigade in the war against Russia.

Mr Evangelou, who made his first foray east barely weeks after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, said it is the ongoing donations from residents of both Plymouth, where he co-owns a business, and Hereford, where he now lives, which has kept the effort going.

He said: "We've got three dialysis machines, two filters, bags and bags of medicines, bags and bags of medical supplies, dog food... the caravan is overloaded once again.

"I'm taking a trailer, which is not ideal, but I've seven wheelchairs on the back of that so we can get through customs easier.

"I feel proud of the donations from Plymouth and Hereford and it's amazing that people are still helping even though it's not in the news anymore.