A British man who has driven to the frontline of Ukraine twice to donate vehicles describes the “heartbreaking” scenes in a country “just trying to survive”, urging fellow Britons to do their part to help.
Ashley Hawkins, 60, has travelled to the city of Lviv two times in the past two months and does not intend on stopping his trips to the war-torn city anytime soon.
In his back-to-back trips, Hawkins has met locals and soldiers alike, been present during a drone attack and witnessed a vigil for those that have lost their lives.
The 60-year-old, who has a self-professed interest in cars, had his interest sparked when he heard about the charity ‘Car4Ukraine’.
Ashley Hawkins in Lviv after delivering the Ford Ranger
Ashley Hawkins
Volunteers can donate vehicles to the organisation, which then transforms them into machines capable for the frontline.
Hawkins told GB News: “I have a bit of an interest in cars and doing road trips. And when I saw this, it seemed like the perfect kind of thing for me to actually do something and get involved because I could see the need.”
He purchased a second-hand Ford Ranger, and accompanied by his son and a friend, embarked on the journey from Pembrokeshire to Lviv.
The 60-year-old told The People’s Channel: “I think I'm the first person who's ever driven his own donated vehicle to the front line.”
Driving relentlessly through the night to complete the 1,200 mile journey as quickly as they could, the trio arrived in Lviv - the largest city in Western Ukraine.
Describing the “beautiful” city, Hawkins said there’s a “war footing feeling” everywhere you look.
“Lviv is beautiful but it’s different. There's no holidaymakers, there's no tourism. It's just a city trying to survive.”
Hawkins at the sign for the Donetsk region with two Ukrainian soldiers
Ashley Hawkins
Armour plating fitted to the rear window, side windows and inside the doors of one of the vehicles Hawkins delivered
Ashley Hawkins
He said he passed a cemetery which commemorates all those who have lost their lives in the conflict, a place he described as “very tragic”.
“At nine every morning they have a minute's silence, brought in by a siren. Everybody stops their cars. Everything stops to pay tribute to what is going on in their country.
“Every week in the main square, they add pictures of those who have been killed. It’s just so moving.”
After dropping off the truck, it was transported by other volunteers to the front line and Hawkins and co made their own way back to the UK.
Back in Pembrokeshire, the 60-year-old decided he wanted to drive another vehicle to be used on the front line in Ukraine - and this time, he wanted to take it the whole way there himself.
Cars For Ukraine had purchased a Mitsubishi L200 pickup, which Hawkins picked up and embarked on the 1,200 mile journey once again.
The vehicle was delivered to Ivan and Uri of the 46th Airmobile Brigade
Ashley Hawkins
Arriving in Lviv, Hawkins and his friend, who he travelled with, ventured further east to the city of Dnipro.
Hours before they arrived, there had been a drone strike which had killed four people and wounded 21.
Travelling to the front line the next day to meet soldiers who would take the truck, Hawkins described the men who had given up their livelihoods to fight for their country.
“One was a civil lawyer and the other used to be a driver. Normal life just didn’t exist for them anymore.”
Sitting in a cafe with the two soldiers, Hawkins reflected on the three elderly ladies working in the eatery.
“What is the future? The Russians are pushing really hard in that region and Ukraine might have to fall back. So do they stay and maintain? That's their whole life, their business, their home. If you leave it and the Russians take it. You'll never see it again. There’s a feeling that the Russians won’t give anything back.
“So they were stoically carrying on and in the face of well, losing everything, including their lives.”
The transformed Ford Ranger
Ashley Hawkins
Returning back to normal life in the UK following his trips to the war torn country, the 60-year-old said he whilst he was happy to have “helped a bit”, he also feels “guilty”.
On the drive back, he thought: “I'm going to go back and sit in my nice, comfortable place in the UK and go to the pub and enjoy the sunshine. For these guys, this is their life now.
“I just felt guilty when I was sitting at the cade with those three women and two guys listening to the crumpled shells in the distance.
"They were trying to tell me about what their lives were like but they just couldn’t really articulate it.
“I just couldn't really contemplate what real life looks like anymore.”
Hawkins said that “these guys are basically holding the frontline against the Russians for Europe on their own”, and stressed the need for people to help them in any way possible.
“We need to do so much more,” he said.
