Car mechanic Danny Ward has delivered humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The soldiers’ identities are obscured for security reasons. Picture: Danny Ward.
Vital aid from the Highlands has been delivered to the Ukrainian frontline by a car mechanic who has completed a second dangerous mercy mission.
Danny Ward, of Kirkhill, undertook a solo trip to the city of Kramatorsk in the militarised zone of Donetsk to deliver a Nissan X-trail, named Buzzer, to Ukrainian soldiers fighting against deadly Russian drone attacks.
As well as containing camping equipment, sleeping bags, medical supplies, food and pet supplies, the 4×4 was emblazoned with hand-written heartfelt messages of support from people in the Highlands.
• Car mechanic drives solo to Ukrainian front line on mercy mission
• Meeting a bombmaker turning abandoned scrap into weapons of resistance
• Mechanic prepares for second mercy mission to Ukraine
Danny’s journey follows a similar one made earlier this year – serialised by the Inverness Courier – when he delivered Nessie the Nissan to the frontline in conjunction with Aid Ukraine UK, a non-profit NGO.
Operated by volunteers, it is one of the few organisations delivering essential supplies directly to the front lines and also rescues pets as well as people.
He has also liaised with the charity, Highlands for Ukraine.
Ukrainian soldiers, whose identities are obscured for security reasons, read the messages on Buzzer the Nissan. Picture: Danny Ward.
Now back home, Danny recounted the scenes of destruction he witnessed in the east of the country where he had to take a detour because the main highway was too dangerous to travel.
He also spoke of his encounters with battle-hardened soldiers plus his admiration of the resilience of the Ukrainian people as they continue to come under sustained Russian attack.
Scenes of destruction in Ukraine. Picture: Danny Ward.
He recalled how message-covered Buzzer captured people’s attention as it was driven on its 2800-mile journey across Europe and Ukraine.
“It got people’s heads turning,” Danny said.
“You could see people looking out of their car windows, or when I turned up in a car park, people would look.
“When I got to the border with Ukraine, they were pointing at Buzzer from passport control.
“It was definitely what I wanted to happen.”
Message-covered Buzzer the Nissan caught people’s attention during its journey. Picture: Danny Ward.
His first stop in Ukraine was Sheptytskyi near Lviv where he delivered Smart boards on behalf of Highlands for Ukraine to the Lena Foundation for distribution for educational purposes.
After spending the night in a nearby hotel, Danny pressed on to Poltava in preparation for the final leg to Kramatorsk, joining a contact on the way to guide him along a safer route along the back roads as the main route – the Izyum to Sloviansk highway – was too dangerous..
“The previous weekend, there had been a number of drone attacks,” Danny explained.
“In 48 hours, 17 vehicles were hit on that stretch of highway.
“We drove through the back roads which were quite rough and bombed.
“They were not pleasant roads to drive on but were the safest roads.”
Car mechanic Danny Ward on his way to the frontline. Picture: Danny Ward.
Along the way, he met the unit leader 21st Battalion, Fire Support Company of the 3rd Army Corps based around Kharkiv which has come under heavy attack.
When he finally reached Kramatorsk, members of the 54th Assault Brigade were awaiting his arrival.
“They were waiting for us basically to get operational with Buzzer,” Danny said.
“They needed to get out. They were gone in a short period of time.
“They are a drone team who are fighting and destroying the Russian equipment.”
The aftermath of a Russian attack. Picture: Danny Ward.
In a meaningful gesture of gratitude for the delivery of Buzzer and the messages from the people of the Highlands, the soldiers presented Danny with a collection of flags and a small model tank.
In the short time he spent in the Kramatorsk area, he noticed it still appeared busy but felt the situation was more dangerous and volatile than previously.
“There is still a lot of damage wherever you look around Kramatorsk,” he said.
“Whatever street you were in, windows were boarded up and buildings damaged.”
But he said the people were still carrying on with their lives.
Danny Ward meets Ukrainian soldiers grateful for the support of people in the Highlands. Picture: Danny Ward.
During his train journey back to Lviv, he shared a compartment with three Ukrainian soldiers heading back home from their positions at the front.
“You could see in the eyes of the young soldiers that the train journey was not a buoyant one,” he reflected.
“You could see the stress in their eyes.”
Despite language barriers, they managed to communicate.
“When all three got off at their station, they made a point of shaking my hand and saying thank you which is pretty humbling when you consider the work they are putting in,” he said.
Delivering much-needed aid to animals caught up in the impact of the war in Ukraine. Picture: Danny Ward.
Buzzer will be used as part of the Ukrainains’ fight for freedom and peace by delivering supplies and evacuating the wounded.
Despite the dangers, Danny hopes to return to Ukraine next year to deliver another badly-needed vehicle – possibly a VW Transporter.
Unfortunately, the cars do not last long on the frontline due to drone attacks and constant shelling plus bad roads and huge distances mean an average car lasts just a few months.
Having dug deeply into his own pockets to help fund the latest one, he hopes Highland people and firms will give their support to deliver a third one.
“They are desperately needed,” Danny added.
Danny has a Latvian-born wife, Agita, a stepdaughter, Nanija, and a daughter, Billie.
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