In May 2023, we were in Kramatorsk delivering a truck to a front-line unit, and whilst there we met V, a drone operator who had just been pulled off the line at Bakhmut.  V is a rugby player, and is about the same size as one of our trucks.  Putting his athletic endeavours on hold, he joined the army after 24 February 2022 and learned his new trade flying drones on the frontlines.  Drones have become a crucial factor in defending Ukraine – they provide reconnaissance, spotting for artillery and perform strike missions – and often using a drone replaces the need to expose soldiers to direct enemy fire. 

This is the story of V, a rugby player turned solider:

In May 2023, we were in Kramatorsk delivering a truck to a front-line unit, and whilst there we met V, a drone operator who had just been pulled off the line at Bakhmut.  V is a rugby player, and is about the same size as one of our trucks.  Putting his athletic endeavours on hold, he joined the army after 24 February 2022 and learned his new trade flying drones on the frontlines.  Drones have become a crucial factor in defending Ukraine – they provide reconnaissance, spotting for artillery and perform strike missions – and often using a drone replaces the need to expose soldiers to direct enemy fire.

A couple of months after we met, V asked us for a vehicle to support his unit.  As with all our trucks, transferring a vehicle from the UK to Ukraine involves more than driving it across Europe.  The process starts with an informal request from soldiers, after which we do our due diligence: we establish their bona fides, find out what the vehicle is needed for, and in which part of the frontline the unit is operating.  The demand for vehicles is great, and we need to establish which requests have the highest priority.  After approving the request, we are sent an official letter from the brigade’s commander, which we hand over to Ukrainian customs when we cross the border.  The information on the request letter, including the VIN and registration of the vehicle and the unit’s unique code, are recorded by customs, at which point the vehicle becomes part of that unit’s official inventory. 

This process is at times frustratingly long, but it ensures that all our vehicles end up in the right place.

V’s unit modified the truck, including installing a night-vision camera on the hood – operating on the front lines means they can’t use headlights during the hours of darkness, so the night vision device is connected to a display and they have to drive solely by watching the screen.