Latest news with #GoldenStar
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
‘Putin will have to try harder than that in order to kill me,' says NI aid worker injured in Ukraine
Peter Jennings, who escaped death after being caught up in an explosion, received the Order of the Gold Star, Ukraine's highest civilian honour, from President Zelensky last year following his ordeal. He travelled to Buckingham Palace for a garden party last month, where he met the future King and Queen. The 'once in a lifetime' experience was shared with Ukrainian refugee Tatiana Atananenko. He said: 'We met with Prince William and Princess Kate, along with Sophie and Edward, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. 'They were all there. It was an amazing day. You don't go back twice for that. 'It was a nice honour for me, but it's not really my scene, because I don't like publicity. 'It was more for Tatiana. That was the biggest honour bestowed on her. 'She said to me: 'I never, ever thought, being a refugee, I would be in a position with you to go and see the royal family, going to Buckingham Palace and walking around the gardens, having tea and eating the same food as the King eats'. 'She can't quite get her head around it yet, that she has been to Buckingham Palace. 'I got to meet Princess Kate, she looked absolutely amazing following her cancer treatment. 'You never would have thought she was ill, she looked a million dollars. 'She was so polite and so nice. She had time to listen and talk, not just shake your hand and disappear. 'She was really down to earth. She was a lovely woman. 'Prince William said to me: 'Peter, we are all very proud of you. We know everything about you because we have been told about you'.' Mr Jennings began organising humanitarian trips to Ukraine in 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion. He is grateful for the generosity of local people who support his work, especially small businesses in Derry. On his last trip he visited an orphanage and children's hospital near the front line, where he delivered more than 750 Christmas presents to young people affected by the war. Earlier in the year, while travelling to the contested region of Kherson in the east of the country, he was blasted out of his lorry during a Russian strike which claimed the lives of three soldiers he had become friendly with — Ivan Kovalenk, Aleksander Shevchenko and Maxim Kravchenko. Despite being left with permanent injuries to his eyes and a limp, Mr Jennings is committed to delivering on a promise he gave the men. He said: 'I made a vow that day to the soldiers: 'Don't think you have seen the end of me, because I will be back'. 'To the three soldiers who were lost and their families, I owe it to them.' Mr Jennings also keeps in touch with President Zelensky, who has become the public face of his country's defiance against the Russian invasion. He explained: 'I have a lot of time for Zelensky, I actually have his mobile number. 'He sends me a text every once in a while, asking if I am okay, and how my injuries are. 'I think I am the only one in the UK to have the Golden Star. 'They are very rare. It's the biggest civilian award they can give you. 'I am proud of that one. It means more to me than the other medals, it's very special. 'I have got 10 medals — one from Kyiv, a volunteer one, Patriot of Ukraine, one for Bucha, then there's the star, and one for Kharkiv. 'I got one for being injured as well, not that I need a reminder.' PM says Putin 'not serious about peace' While suffering as a result of his injuries, he insisted he will not be stopped from delivering much-needed aid to Ukraine. Mr Jennings intends to continue defying of his doctor's orders — and the Russian leader who started the war. 'I am OK at the moment. Ukraine is more important to me,' he said. 'Putin is going to have to try harder than that to kill me.'
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
‘Putin will have to try harder than that in order to kill me'
Peter Jennings, who escaped death after being caught up in an explosion, received the Order of the Gold Star, Ukraine's highest civilian honour, from President Zelensky last year following his ordeal. He travelled to Buckingham Palace for a garden party last month, where he met the future King and Queen. The 'once in a lifetime' experience was shared with Ukrainian refugee Tatiana Atananenko. He said: 'We met with Prince William and Princess Kate, along with Sophie and Edward, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. 'They were all there. It was an amazing day. You don't go back twice for that. 'It was a nice honour for me, but it's not really my scene, because I don't like publicity. 'It was more for Tatiana. That was the biggest honour bestowed on her. 'She said to me: 'I never, ever thought, being a refugee, I would be in a position with you to go and see the royal family, going to Buckingham Palace and walking around the gardens, having tea and eating the same food as the King eats'. 'She can't quite get her head around it yet, that she has been to Buckingham Palace. 'I got to meet Princess Kate, she looked absolutely amazing following her cancer treatment. 'You never would have thought she was ill, she looked a million dollars. 'She was so polite and so nice. She had time to listen and talk, not just shake your hand and disappear. 'She was really down to earth. She was a lovely woman. 'Prince William said to me: 'Peter, we are all very proud of you. We know everything about you because we have been told about you'.' Mr Jennings began organising humanitarian trips to Ukraine in 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion. He is grateful for the generosity of local people who support his work, especially small businesses in Derry. On his last trip he visited an orphanage and children's hospital near the front line, where he delivered more than 750 Christmas presents to young people affected by the war. Earlier in the year, while travelling to the contested region of Kherson in the east of the country, he was blasted out of his lorry during a Russian strike which claimed the lives of three soldiers he had become friendly with — Ivan Kovalenk, Aleksander Shevchenko and Maxim Kravchenko. Despite being left with permanent injuries to his eyes and a limp, Mr Jennings is committed to delivering on a promise he gave the men. He said: 'I made a vow that day to the soldiers: 'Don't think you have seen the end of me, because I will be back'. 'To the three soldiers who were lost and their families, I owe it to them.' Mr Jennings also keeps in touch with President Zelensky, who has become the public face of his country's defiance against the Russian invasion. He explained: 'I have a lot of time for Zelensky, I actually have his mobile number. 'He sends me a text every once in a while, asking if I am okay, and how my injuries are. 'I think I am the only one in the UK to have the Golden Star. 'They are very rare. It's the biggest civilian award they can give you. 'I am proud of that one. It means more to me than the other medals, it's very special. 'I have got 10 medals — one from Kyiv, a volunteer one, Patriot of Ukraine, one for Bucha, then there's the star, and one for Kharkiv. 'I got one for being injured as well, not that I need a reminder.' While suffering as a result of his injuries, he insisted he will not be stopped from delivering much-needed aid to Ukraine. Mr Jennings intends to continue defying of his doctor's orders — and the Russian leader who started the war. 'I am OK at the moment. Ukraine is more important to me,' he said. 'Putin is going to have to try harder than that to kill me.'
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Passengers evacuated from bus as incident causes delays
A Swindon bus was evacuated over fears there was smoke coming from its rear end. The Swindon's Bus Company service was travelling west along Moredon Road when it stopped near the Golden Star Chinese restaurant. The driver evacuated passengers on the bus as a precaution when he saw what he thought at the time was smoke coming from the vehicle. Engineers attended the scene, during which time the bus remained stranded on the route, and discovered steam was coming from the vehicle after coolant leaked. Suggested reading Warning amid significant changes to train services during bank holiday Stunning pictures show Northern Lights visible over county Police hunt after 'diners leave carvery without paying' Flash sale alert🌟 Dive deeper into the stories that shape Swindon with Swindon Advertiser Unlimited local news, an ad-free app, and a digital replica of our print edition—all with 80% fewer ads on our site Subscribe now for a faster news experience - — Swindon Advertiser (@swindonadver) April 11, 2025 It was subsequently taken to the depot for repair and a replacement bus arrived in its place. For some time there were minor traffic delays in the area caused by the bus partially obstructing the road. A spokesperson for the bus company said: 'The driver asked passengers to leave the bus as a precaution, when he spotted what he thought was smoke coming from the rear of the bus. 'Our engineers attended, and found that the smoke was actually steam, where some coolant had leaked. 'The bus was taken back to the depot for repair, and a replacement vehicle arrived to continue the service.'
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukrainian F-16 pilot Pavlo Ivanov killed during combat mission
Pavlo Ivanov, a 26-year-old Ukrainian F-16 pilot, was killed during a combat mission on April 12, Ukraine's Air Force reported. The Air Force praised Ivanov's dedication and bravery in a statement on Telegram. "Ukrainian pilots are working to the fullest extent of their human and technical capabilities, risking their lives every time they carry out a combat mission. Pavlo was one of them!" the post said. An interdepartmental commission has launched an investigation into the circumstances of the incident, according to the statement. President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his condolences on X, and said that the response will be 'strong and precise.' Ivanov was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine, according to the website of the president. 'For personal courage and heroism, demonstrated in the protection of the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and selfless service to the Ukrainian people, I decree to award the title of Hero of Ukraine with the award of the "Golden Star" order to Ivanov Pavlo Ivanovych,' the official statement from Zelensky said. F-16s are used in both offensive and defensive operations. The aircraft have been used for intercepting Russian missiles and drones during aerial strikes against Ukraine. They can also be deployed to launch missiles and bombs at Russian positions along the front line. Ivanov's death marks the second F-16 pilot loss for Ukraine since receiving these jets, following Oleksii Mes's death last August. Read also: Zelensky confirms new arrival of F-16 jets to Ukraine We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
