- author, luke knight
- role, BBC News, Somerset
A couple from Glastonbury, Somerset, drove 1,318 miles (2,121 km) to Ukraine to deliver vehicles to the front lines of the war with Russia.
Ed Chalmers and Katie Hynes traveled from Oxford to Lviv in western Ukraine in a four-wheel-drive vehicle named Hilda, which is used to evacuate wounded soldiers.
Mr Hines told BBC Radio Somerset: “When we arrived at the Lviv workshop, Hilda was immediately taken to two volunteers.
“We didn’t even turn off the engines until we emptied the vehicles, reequipped and left for our new lives at the front. It was amazing.”
Chalmers, 36, and Hines, 35, traveled for three days in a convoy of several other vehicles.
The convoy was organized by Driving Ukraine, a group set up to deliver vehicles to the country at the start of the war.
“We drove through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Poland, then spent two hours sorting documents at the Ukrainian border,” Chalmers said.
Mr Hines added: “Hilda did a really good job. Mechanically there were no problems, but a few other cars had problems. A few had hot radiators.”
“I received a lot of support while driving,” Chalmers said.
“We met with people from Norway, America and Belgium. We’re all pulling in the same direction and trying to provide as much help as possible.”
Hines added: “We met people at worship services, shared stories, built connections and figured out how best to help.
“We often had horns honked and lights flashing, so that gave us a lot of strength.”
Chalmers and Hines plan to use a combination of public transport to return to their home in Somerset.
A fundraising page has also been set up for the trip and more than £5,000 has been raised so far.
Chalmers said: “This money will pay for gas, paperwork to get to Ukraine and modifications to the vehicle such as new tires and paint.”