Father and son from Wales deliver truck to Ukrainian frontline
Vehicle painted with Red Dragon and 'With Love from Wales' message
A PEMBROKESHIRE man and his son have donated a pick-up truck to Ukrainian soldiers and personally delivered it to the frontline in Donetsk.
Ashley Hawkins, aged 60, from Little Haven, and his 28-year-old son James, who lives in Abergavenny, set off in February to drive their old Ford Ranger some 1,500 miles across Europe to the city of Lviv.
The vehicle, which is 15 years old, was reinforced and repainted at a workshop run by the charity Car4Ukraine. It now proudly displays a Welsh dragon and the message 'With Love from Wales.'
Ashley returned to Ukraine at the end of March to complete the journey himself—driving a further 600 miles east to Donetsk, where he handed over the truck to soldiers from Ukraine's 46th Airmobile Brigade.
He told The Herald: 'It was an incredible experience to drive the truck all the way across Ukraine and an honour to meet the brave men who will be using it.'
Ashley was escorted through a series of military checkpoints into a heavily damaged region that had previously been under Russian control. There, he was shown the destruction left behind before Ukrainian forces pushed the Russians out.
'One of the soldiers I met used to be a civil lawyer before the war,' he said. 'He told me he no longer knows if he'll ever be able to return to his former life. His only goal now is to survive. It's a desperate situation, especially with the US stepping back its support, but the Ukrainian people are courageous and united. They're determined to resist, whatever it takes.'
As well as delivering the Ford Ranger, Ashley transported a second donated vehicle to Lviv on his return trip in March, and he plans to deliver more in June and July.
The charity Car4Ukraine, which organised the modifications, has now sent more than 600 vehicles from the UK and other countries to support troops on the frontlines.
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