Latest news with #UkraineRelief
BBC News
07-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Poignant Ukrainian war exhibition opens at the Tank Museum
Ukrainian refugees' possessions are a critical part of a museum's new exhibition covering the Ukraine Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset, is thought to have the largest exhibition in the UK focusing on the was opened by the Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, on Thursday and includes tanks and personal items the museum's exhibitions manager said are the most poignant museum was put in touch with Ukrainian refugees now living in Dorset by the Bournemouth-based Ukraine Relief charity. Amongst the items are a family's hamster cage and a set of house keys that became redundant when their Mariupol home was bombed."It's about the personal stories," the museum's exhibitions manager, Luke Clark, said."If you come here and you take anything away from this exhibition, it's hopefully that you'll have hope for those people who are still out there [in Ukraine], the people who are still in the UK and the hope that they will go home."We want to give as much hope to those people as possible." Anastasiia, who is 11, persuaded her family to flee the war, having endured three weeks in a basement without seeing the pictures of the war are shown at the items include a Russian T-72 tank, daubed with a Z, and an example of a British Challenger 2 tank. Fourteen of those were donated by the UK government to the Ukrainian exhibition is due to last for two years. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UK volunteer after surviving Russian strike on Kryvyi Rih — 'Trump, Vance, come see Ukraine for yourselves'
A team of foreign volunteers had just finished dinner at a cozy hotel restaurant in Kryvyi Rih — a city in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast where they had recently arrived to bring locals humanitarian aid — when a notification on their phones suddenly made the atmosphere tense. A Russian ballistic missile was heading toward the city. "We decided to go to the shelter, but we did not have enough time," British volunteer Karol Swiacki told the Kyiv Independent. "We stood up and made a few steps, but then there was a big hit, loud noise, and a huge explosion. And then dust all over. There was so much dust that we couldn't breathe or see anything." The powerful blast from the strike, which occurred around 10 p.m. on March 5, heavily damaged the five-story hotel. As a result of the attack, five people were killed and 32 were injured, including two children aged 13 and 17, Governor Serhii Lysak reported. Apart from the hotel, the missile strike also damaged 14 apartment buildings, a post office, almost two dozen cars, a cultural center, and 12 shops, the governor said. "We saw the damage that (the missile) had done, not only to the hotel, it was all on fire," Swiacki recalls. "People were screaming. There were people with blood on their faces, dead people." "People died in front of our eyes. It was a nightmare. We were in hell." Sitting roughly 70 kilometers (40 miles) northwest of the nearest front line, Kryvyi Rih remains a frequent target of Russian missile attacks. With a population of about 660,000, it is the second-largest city in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelensky. "(After the explosion) we tried to get out of the hotel and went through the broken windows." "Just before the strike, volunteers from a humanitarian organization checked into the hotel — citizens of Ukraine, the U.S., and the U.K.," Zelensky said after the attack. "They survived because they managed to escape their rooms." Swiacki, who heads the U.K.-based NGO Ukraine Relief, says that all of the eight people he was with were fortunate enough to escape injury in the deadly attack. "(After the explosion) we tried to get out of the hotel and went through the broken windows. It was so dangerous, we didn't know if it would collapse," Swiacki recalls. "But when we saw it from outside, oh my God… We realized the reason for that big explosion: a missile." Swiacki says that if they had been in their rooms when the missile struck the hotel, they likely would have been killed. "Everything was smashed. It was just an absolute disaster," he says. Originally from Poland, Swiacki dropped his career in entertainment shortly after the full-scale invasion started, launching the non-profit: "I remember my grandma's stories of what Russians were doing to our people in Poland, so I understand what it means." "I am fully aware of what this war is about. This has nothing to do with peace. They want to destroy Ukraine, take it over, and break the nation completely. This is an absolute disgrace," Swiacki says. Since Feb. 24, 2022, Swiacki and his team have delivered over five tons of humanitarian aid across Ukraine, as well as power generators, wheelchairs for people with disabilities, medical beds, and other essential supplies. During their latest trip to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, they brought sports equipment and other items to support Ukrainian children affected by the war. Swiacki says the attack on Kryvyi Rih destroyed three of their cars parked outside the hotel. His team was able to recover the equipment from the "smashed van" and plan to deliver it to the children soon. "We're continuing to support Ukraine. Many people would say we should stop, but no, it works the other way around. We will never stop and are stronger than ever," he says. The attack on Kryvyi Rih took place amid the Trump administration's decision to freeze military aid and limit intelligence sharing to Ukraine — affecting warnings about Russian drones and missiles targeting Ukrainian military and civilian sites. Swiacki says he wishes U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance would come and see the war for themselves. "Please come to Ukraine and see it yourself," he says. "People are dying here." Overnight on March 7, just two days after the Kryvyi Rih attack, Russia launched at least 67 missiles of various types and 194 attack and decoy drones against Ukraine, targeting energy and gas infrastructure across the country. "We need air defense all over Ukraine to stop these killings. No one can defend against these rockets without air defense," Swiacki says. "I hope the West will finally wake up," he adds. Hi! Daria Shulzhenko here. I wrote this piece for you. Since the first day of Russia's all-out war, I have been working almost non-stop to tell the stories of those affected by Russia's brutal aggression. By telling all those painful stories, we are helping to keep the world informed about the reality of Russia's war against Ukraine. By becoming a member of the Kyiv Independent, you can help us continue telling the world the truth about this war. Read also: British volunteer who lost arm and leg evacuating Ukrainian civilians: 'Russia is the enemy. How can you not see it?' We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Independent
06-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Aid worker says ‘not the time for crying' after surviving Russian missile attack
An aid worker from Britain has said 'this is not the moment for crying' after surviving a Russian missile strike in central Ukraine, which left four people dead. Karol Swiacki, founder of charity Ukraine Relief, from Bournemouth Dorset, shared his disbelief after an air strike in Kryvyi Rih hit the Central Hotel on Wednesday night – his accommodation for the duration of his stay. The aid worker and his team said they felt lucky they were able to flee their rooms at the hotel before the strike happened. 'I don't how we survived this. It was an incredible and shocking moment for all of us,' Mr Swiacki told the PA news agency. 'If we were in our rooms, we would be dead. It is a huge disaster.' Four people died in the strike, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Mr Swiacki and his team travelled to Ukraine to distribute generators and supplies to a local school and orphanage, and he said he felt 'broken' after the aid was destroyed by the attack. The charity founder said he and his team visited the school on Thursday morning to continue aid efforts in Ukraine. 'We went to the school today, we didn't give up,' he said. 'We are not crying. This is not the moment for crying. 'This is the moment for getting things done. If they (the Russians) want to frighten us, put the fear into our minds that we shouldn't be here… but I'm not going to be doing that. 'We need to help Ukraine.' He praised the people of Ukraine for their bravery and said his experience highlights the daily plight of Ukrainians. 'What brave people and what a country – they are fighting for survival. Day by day these rockets are falling here and killing and injuring people,' he said. Mr Swiacki hopes that sharing his experience in Kryvyi Rih will remind the public about the ongoing conflict. 'We need to send the message of truth. People need to see what is really happening,' he said. 'We are an example of those who've been under attack and we survived it. 'We need to be ambassadors of this situation and use this to give people an example of what is happening. This is what (the people of) Ukraine are surviving.' Mr Zelensky said on X that rescue operations in Kryvyi Rih continue. He said: 'All night, a rescue operation continued in Kryvyi Rih at the site of a Russian missile strike. A ballistic missile struck an ordinary hotel. 'Just before the attack, volunteers from a humanitarian organisation – citizens of Ukraine, the United States, and the United Kingdom – had checked into the hotel. 'They survived because they managed to get down from their rooms in time. Unfortunately, four people were killed in this attack. My condolences to their families and loved ones.' He went on: 'Rescue workers are still on-site, and all emergency services continue to operate.' Kryvyi Rih is Mr Zelenskyy's home town and has been attacked frequently from Russia, including a missile attack in January that killed four.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'So lucky to be alive': Aid worker describes escape from Russian missile strike
A UK-based aid worker said he and his friends and colleagues were "so lucky to be alive" after they narrowly escaped a Russian missile attack on a hotel in Ukraine on Wednesday night that left at least four dead. Karol Swiacki, a Polish national and founder of the Bournemouth-based charity Ukraine Relief, was at the Central Hotel in Kryvyi Rih having dinner with friends when the missile struck. "We are all safe we didn't have a scratch, it is incredible," Mr Swiacki told BBC News adding "we still don't know how we survived this, honestly." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram that more than 30 people were wounded in the attack and rescuers were still at the scene. The charity worker - who has previously won a BBC award - is in Ukraine carrying out aid relief work including delivering sports equipment to a school and renovating a school for 550 children. He is also visiting schools, shelters and orphanages with Ukraine Relief's trustee, Marc Edwards - a British national who now lives in the US. The duo were having dinner with friends at the hotel restaurant at the time of the strike. The dining party included two US volunteers, two workers from a Ukrainian charity foundation, and a young boy and his pregnant mother. "We'd just put our stuff in our rooms and went to eat with our local Ukrainian contacts and the cell phone alarm went off so we ran to the shelter," said Mr Edwards. Mr Swiacki said: "We took two steps and there was a big boom, absolute nightmare, everything just within seconds changed into a very apocalyptic news screams, alarms." Live coverage and analysis Video sent by Mr Swiacki to the BBC showed smoke filling the restaurant with half-eaten meals and takeaway boxes on tables. "There was so much stuff that we couldn't see where we were going," said Mr Swiacki. Mr Edwards confirmed that the blast "took out all the windows" and they had to climb out of the restaurant through a broken window. The duo went back into the hotel to retrieve some of their belongings and to see if anyone else was hurt. They also went outside the hotel to look for the vehicles they were using to travel around the country. "Three vehicles we had with us were all destroyed – they were full of aid," said Mr Edwards. Mr Swiacki's van, which he had parked outside the hotel, was "smashed completely to pieces". "We heard some noises we don't want to hear again. Somebody was trapped under the rubble next to our van and didn't make it. Someone was hit from shrapnel and didn't make it. I'm numb," he said. Mr Swiacki described the scene as "crazy, absolutely nightmare" and that he and the group he was with were lucky to have survived. He says the restaurant was on the ground floor and he thinks it is the only one room or at least one of the few rooms that didn't collapse. The duo are still in Kryvyi Rih and despite the shock of the explosion, Mr Swiacki says he has not been deterred him from continuing his aid work with Ukraine. "I will never stop helping people after this," he said. The attack happened ahead of a European security summit on Wednesday which Zelensky is attending. Reacting to it, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said it showed "why Ukraine needs defence capabilities: to protect human lives from Russian terror".
BBC News
06-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
UK-based aid worker describes escape from Russian missile attack in Ukraine
A UK-based aid worker said he and his friends and colleagues were "so lucky to be alive" after they narrowly escaped a Russian missile attack on a hotel in Ukraine on Wednesday night that left at least four Swiacki, a Polish national and founder of the Bournemouth-based charity Ukraine Relief, was at the Central Hotel in Kryvyi Rih having dinner with friends when the missile struck."We are all safe we didn't have a scratch, it is incredible," Mr Swiacki told BBC News adding "we still don't know how we survived this, honestly."Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram that more than 30 people were wounded in the attack and rescuers were still at the scene. The charity worker - who has previously won a BBC award - is in Ukraine carrying out aid relief work including delivering sports equipment to a school and renovating a school for 550 children. He is also visiting schools, shelters and orphanages with Ukraine Relief's trustee, Marc Edwards - a British national who now lives in the duo were having dinner with friends at the hotel restaurant at the time of the strike. The dining party included two US volunteers, two workers from a Ukrainian charity foundation, and a young boy and his pregnant mother."We'd just put our stuff in our rooms and went to eat with our local Ukrainian contacts and the cell phone alarm went off so we ran to the shelter," said Mr Swiacki said: "We took two steps and there was a big boom, absolute nightmare, everything just within seconds changed into a very apocalyptic news screams, alarms."Live coverage and analysis Video sent by Mr Swiacki to the BBC showed smoke filling the restaurant with half-eaten meals and takeaway boxes on tables."There was so much stuff that we couldn't see where we were going," said Mr Edwards confirmed that the blast "took out all the windows" and they had to climb out of the restaurant through a broken duo went back into the hotel to retrieve some of their belongings and to see if anyone else was also went outside the hotel to look for the vehicles they were using to travel around the country."Three vehicles we had with us were all destroyed – they were full of aid," said Mr Swiacki's van, which he had parked outside the hotel, was "smashed completely to pieces". "We heard some noises we don't want to hear again. Somebody was trapped under the rubble next to our van and didn't make it. Someone was hit from shrapnel and didn't make it. I'm numb," he said. Mr Swiacki described the scene as "crazy, absolutely nightmare" and that he and the group he was with were lucky to have says the restaurant was on the ground floor and he thinks it is the only one room or at least one of the few rooms that didn't duo are still in Kryvyi Rih and despite the shock of the explosion, Mr Swiacki says he has not been deterred him from continuing his aid work with Ukraine."I will never stop helping people after this," he attack happened ahead of a European security summit on Wednesday which Zelensky is to it, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said it showed "why Ukraine needs defence capabilities: to protect human lives from Russian terror".
