{"id":558801,"date":"2025-11-09T06:24:57","date_gmt":"2025-11-09T06:24:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/558801\/"},"modified":"2025-11-09T06:24:57","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T06:24:57","slug":"the-80-year-old-brit-who-drives-into-a-war-zone-to-deliver-hope-to-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/558801\/","title":{"rendered":"The 80-year-old Brit who drives into a war zone to deliver hope to Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"

When most couples their age are enjoying retirement, Krishan and Mary Pillai are packing up a pickup truck and heading for Ukraine\"CheltenhamCheltenham residents make fifth trip to Ukraine (Credit : Ellianna Collins)<\/p>\n

Krishan Pillai was just coming off a round of golf when a friend mentioned he was heading to Ukraine. Not for sightseeing, but to deliver a pickup truck loaded with aid to the Ukrainian Army.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a war zone,\u201d Krishan replied. But that conversation lit a spark. \u201cIt struck a chord in my heart,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

By the time he got home and nervously brought it up with his wife, Dr Mary Pillai, the decision was as good as made. She agreed. And just like that, what began as an offhand comment became the start of something life-altering.<\/p>\n

At 80 years old, with Mary in her late sixties, the Charlton Kings couple had just celebrated 50 years of marriage.<\/p>\n

They had time, they had energy, and more than anything, they had a sense of purpose that couldn\u2019t be ignored.<\/p>\n

Motivated by media reports of the suffering in Ukraine\u2014particularly the toll on children\u2014and by the sheer resilience of Ukrainians fighting for their freedom, they packed up their lives, quite literally, and hit the road.<\/p>\n

\"CheltenhamThe couple are motivated by the suffering in Ukraine<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are lovers of freedom and take it for granted,\u201d Krishan says. \u201cYet without massive support, Ukraine\u2019s freedom and its very survival appeared in doubt.\u201d<\/p>\n

They had no prior ties to Ukraine. No experience with humanitarian missions. Just a visceral sense that doing nothing wasn\u2019t an option.<\/p>\n

And despite initial surprise and concern from family and friends, the response was overwhelmingly supportive. The couple\u2019s first trip would not be their last.<\/p>\n

Each convoy since has brought with it a mix of exhaustion and inspiration.<\/p>\n

The couple joined forces with Pickups for Peace (P4P), a charity founded in February 2023 by three farmers and an associate.<\/p>\n

Since then, P4P has delivered 766 pickup trucks filled with desperately needed supplies. That figure is fast approaching 800.<\/p>\n

\"TravellingTravelling to Ukraine poses a whole host of challenges<\/p>\n

What they deliver is more than material aid\u2014it\u2019s hope. \u201cPeople line the road waving Ukrainian and UK flags to greet us,\u201d says Krishan. \u201cThey want to shake our hands, stating they see the UK as their staunchest and most reliable supporter.\u201d That sense of connection is what keeps them going.<\/p>\n

The logistics are formidable. Once the aid is packed, the couple drive to the Channel Tunnel, sometimes stopping off in Surrey to see family and grandchildren.<\/p>\n

From there, they make their way through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and on to Wroclaw in Poland\u2014roughly 1,700 miles from home. It\u2019s in Wroclaw that the convoy meets, stories are exchanged, and final preparations made.<\/p>\n

Then it\u2019s a six-hour drive to the Ukrainian border, followed by a three-hour crossing, and a final two-hour push to Lviv.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe aid is gratefully received in Ukraine<\/p>\n

Convoy members are connected via WhatsApp, a digital lifeline for sharing locations, flagging breakdowns, and ensuring no one is left behind. And breakdowns do happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe once lost a front wheel while travelling at 80mph on a Polish motorway,\u201d recalls Krishan. \u201cThe wheel ended up more than 100 yards ahead in the central reservation.\u201d<\/p>\n

It delayed them by four hours, but they made it. \u201cShaken but not stirred.\u201d<\/p>\n

What they deliver\u2014besides the trucks themselves\u2014includes everything from generators and power banks to laptops, hydraulic jacks, tarpaulins, diesel cans, and winter clothing.<\/p>\n

No military items. Just tools for survival and recovery. \u201cThe focus is on saving lives and relieving suffering,\u201d Krishan stresses.<\/p>\n

The vehicles, typically 15\u201320-year-old 4x4s with more than 150,000 miles on the clock, don\u2019t last long. \u201cOnce handed over, the vehicles go to the front line where they are used to ferry and rescue injured soldiers,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey save many lives but have short lives, being destroyed within weeks or months.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite being checked and MOT-certified before leaving, breakdowns are inevitable. Insurance and breakdown cover don\u2019t extend into Ukraine, which is why a police escort is provided from the border.<\/p>\n

Even with the risk, Krishan says they\u2019ve never felt unsafe in western Ukraine\u2014though he notes a rising tension of late. \u201cThings are very different in the East,\u201d he adds soberly.<\/p>\n

Some of the most harrowing experiences come not from the roads, but from the reality of war on the ground. The couple visits the Field of Mars in Lviv during each trip. Once a Soviet military cemetery, it has now become a burial site for those killed since the war began. \u201cWith each visit we see more graves,\u201d Krishan says. \u201cMany millennials, women as well, the generation whose parents\u2014our age\u2014and young children are left to mourn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe couple want to make a difference<\/p>\n

He remembers hearing a bugle in the morning and the solemn drumbeats in the evening that signal new casualties. \u201cSuch a waste for a pointless war,\u201d he says. The gravity of what they witness is inescapable.<\/p>\n

The trips aren\u2019t just about giving\u2014they’ve brought something back, too. For Krishan, they\u2019ve been unexpectedly healing. Having struggled with anxiety in recent years, he says the experience has been therapeutic. \u201cMy mojo has returned and anxiety totally cured,\u201d he says. \u201cThank you, Ukraine, and P4P.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mary and Krishan are a team in every sense. She handles the complex logistics\u2014travel bookings, paperwork, accommodation. He manages the fundraising, a role Mary finds difficult. \u201cWe both share the driving and source aid wherever we can,\u201d Krishan adds. \u201cI personally am able at finding solutions to any problems like breakdowns.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not easy. They cover the costs of fuel, insurance, road tax, travel insurance, hotels, Eurotunnel crossings, flights home\u2014most of it out of pocket. The charity arranges some accommodation, but most costs are theirs to bear. \u201cOur hope is to persuade the British public to overrun our JustGiving page with donations,\u201d he says. \u201cTo raise funds for an army of pickups with volunteers to help drive them.\u201d<\/p>\n

They take the preparation seriously\u2014booking transport, confirming convoy details, ensuring all documents are in order, and organising safety measures. \u201cWe sign a waiver for P4P,\u201d Krishan says. \u201cThere is no medical or vehicle insurance cover in Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n

And yet, they go. \u201cPhysically I am very fortunate with my health,\u201d he says. \u201cI follow a golf ball many miles each week and I chainsaw and split several tons of wood each month.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheyThey say Ukraine is paying a heavy price for the war<\/p>\n

Their motivation is clear: legacy. \u201cWe worry about what\u2019s being left for our grandchildren,\u201d says Krishan. \u201cWe believe in the saying \u2018evil triumphs when good men and women do nothing\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

The war, they remind us, is not far away. \u201cUkraine is paying a heavy price for being the buffer zone for Europe. If Russia stops fighting, there will be no war. But if Ukraine stops fighting, there will be no Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n

For all the effort, they are modest about their contribution. \u201cWhat we have done is a drop in the ocean in terms of bringing peace,\u201d Krishan says. \u201cWhat P4P has achieved collectively in two and a half years is remarkable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their next trip will be their first in winter. Mary used to avoid night driving, but after lens replacement surgery, she\u2019s ready. They\u2019ll experience some of the same hardships Ukrainians endure\u2014power cuts, freezing conditions. \u201cReturning home is always something of an anticlimax,\u201d says Krishan. \u201cWe now look at 4x4s thinking how appropriate they are for the front line. Each one is estimated to save at least 10 lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s not just about ferrying the injured. \u201cThey have a particular value in this new form of warfare,\u201d Krishan adds. \u201cThey\u2019re crucial in drone defence, used to back up soldiers on foot. Without a vehicle, they likely won\u2019t escape.\u201d<\/p>\n

Will they go again? That depends on health and finances. But their dream is simple: to one day return\u2014not in aid convoys, but in peace. \u201cA trip back when peace returns is our ultimate wish.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheyThey want to return when there is peace<\/p>\n

In the meantime, they keep going. They rally support, gather donations, source vehicles and supplies. They return to a warm welcome from their German shepherd Kyra and their elderly cat George. And they keep sharing their story.<\/p>\n

Because for Krishan and Mary, action beats intention. Every time.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoing and inspiring others is so much better than just thinking about it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When most couples their age are enjoying retirement, Krishan and Mary Pillai are packing up a pickup truck…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":558802,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7654],"tags":[110690,2000,299,657],"class_list":{"0":"post-558801","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ukraine","8":"tag-cheltenham","9":"tag-eu","10":"tag-europe","11":"tag-ukraine"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115518317355339891","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/558801","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=558801"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/558801\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/558802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=558801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=558801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=558801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}