Swindon army veteran's heroic effort to keep Ukrainian refugees safe

Ricky Crowther wanted to use the skills he learned during his military service to assist the evacuation effort and provide a space for women, children and the disabled to rest and refuel after their long and difficult journeys before checking their passports and sending them to a train station across the border.

After paying £3,500 for a few coaches with help from family and friends, to gain the trust of the locals, the 39-year-old from Haydon End has supported the 40-odd staff at Group 107 Israel in Lviv who turned a security company’s offices into a major rescue effort.

Ricky arrived at the building after befriending 28-year-old English teacher Adam Green from Newcastle who had lived in Kyiv and 47-year-old Israeli medic Avi Doron Motola who had served in the US military. The trio formed their own support effort ‘UK-U’ then decided to lend their manpower to the coach-arranging operation.

Ricky said: “The teacher speaks the language but I don’t so they were a bit spooked by me at first and, understandably, they don’t trust anyone at the moment, but now they’re all friendly and happy to have our support.

“It’s been heartbreaking to see people who have lost everything, witnessed the battles, had bombs dropped on them and had their husbands stay behind to fight. They are calm but you can see them trying not to cry in front of people.

“We’ve helped heavily pregnant women, disabled children, single mothers who have been carrying their entire lives on their backs for miles. It’s a relief for them and for us when they get here and can relax inside a secure facility - the smile on their face is amazing to see.

“I’ve been to the train station in Kyiv, the queue is massive and people are waiting around oil drums to keep warm during the cold nights.

“This place is providing a less stressful way out. As the war goes on, more people will be heading here and we can help avoid or minimise the backlog of people waiting in the streets.”

Though cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv have seen heavy bombardment from Russia, Lviv is 600km away from the capital and is considered to be the last port of call before Poland.

Ricky is fundraising to help this humanitarian mission continue and allow for more buses to be filled up with grateful refugees. Each round trip costs £950 and will sit over 60 people.

Ricky added: “What we have here is something really special as everyone is working together to help the constant flow of people who are arriving.”

To donate, visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/transport-children-woman-to-safety-in-ukraine