'We must not forget them': Ukraine 4 years of war
Northamptonshire aid group continues vital support with convoys to Ukraine
A charity which provides trucks full of aid to from Northamptonshire to Ukraine says we must remember Ukrainians today and every day.
Convoy4Ukraine, is continuing to deliver essential support to communities affected by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This effort coincides with the four-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Coordinated from Northamptonshire, volunteers from the charity recently completed its 11th trip to the war-torn country. The latest convoy consisted of 23 trucks equipped with medical supplies and humanitarian aid, along with a minibus specially sourced from Switzerland to navigate terrains with a four-wheel drive.
The Northamptonshire convoys are led by Paul Parsons who said: "We’re privileged to help Ukraine, doing all that we can from our side of Europe.''
Convoy for Ukraine provides vital assistance, ranging from medical equipment to vehicles, ensuring essential services reach areas like Lviv and Dnipro where such resources are critical.
"We’ve seen their resilience first hand, and we’re focused on supporting them.''
The initiative, with origins in Cambridge and operational teams also in Ireland, sends regular support convoys. Volunteers from various age groups, including some seasoned and some new, participated in the recent journey, driving aid thousands of miles to the heart of Ukraine.
Parsons shared the success of the teams latest 4-day mission: ''We delivered 23 trucks carrying around £150,000 worth of equipment to a range of groups and NGOs.
''We also supported the Unbroken Hospital in Lviv, a major local authority facility that treats internally displaced people and the injured, and has an impressive prosthetics unit we’ve been helping to equip.”
“What people are going through… those of us who haven’t lived it can’t even imagine. It’s hard,” he said. “You walk around the streets — you don’t need to go to a hospital — and you see countless people, mostly men but some women, without arms or legs. I think there are as many amputees there as we have soldiers in our entire army. You see them everywhere. They’re a tangible reminder of what this war is doing.”
''The Ukrainians are tired.''
He added: “You see damaged homes, damaged schools… Ukrainian children still have to do their live lessons in bunkers underground.”
Parsons says that while aid deliveries remain critical, so too does public awareness. He believes people in the UK must understand the scale of the suffering and keep up the pressure on leaders to maintain their support for Ukraine.
"While financial contributions are crucial, raising awareness in support of Ukraine is equally important," emphasised Parsons.
He also addressed the issue of “war fatigue” and why, he says, people here have no excuse to switch off from the conflict.
“How do we make sure we don’t get compassion fatigue? The truth is, we have no right in the UK – or anywhere in Europe – to feel fatigued,” he said. “We’re not being bombed every night. Our fathers, sons, husbands, wives and daughters aren’t being killed or maimed. We have no right to be tired of this.”
Parsons also said Ukrainians were fighting not just for their own country, but for the wider continent.
“In many ways, Ukraine is defending the rest of Europe. If Ukraine falls, Russia is on the border of NATO.”
The team has further convoys planned for 2026, with trips in June and October scheduled. The charity says it encourages local involvement and fundraising to bolster their aid missions.
To find out more visit the Convoy4Ukraine website.