December 2023, Mitsubishi L200 Pavel1933
For this mission, we prepared an off-road Mitsubishi L200, which we purchased in Prěelouč for 123,000 CZK. We transported the vehicle to Prague, arranged the necessary documents for ownership transfer, customs documents for export, and then moved the L200 to Železný Brod for a basic inspection and repair. The alternator belts and tires needed replacement. We sourced the tires through a classified ad with decent tread. Once on site, the tires will need to be swapped for mud tires.
The journey to Ukraine began in Železný Brod, where we loaded items from Prague, supplies from the Liberec region, 800 trench candles made by Prague volunteers, 1,000 warming pads, 130 kg of wax for trench candle production donated by Jirka Brauner from Brno for school production in Zakarpattia, as well as coffee, tea, energy drinks, and sleeping bags.
Vasyl departed a day earlier to prepare the route in Ukraine. Border crossing conditions changed on December 1, 2023. Upon arrival, there was an issue with phone and internet connectivity because Russian forces had attacked Ukraine’s communication infrastructure, disabling large parts of the network. Thanks to our registered NGO status, the border crossing was quicker, though communication was still a challenge.
Michal and Viktor brought the vehicle from the Czech Republic and picked up a used hardtop in Olomouc purchased via classifieds.
On Thursday morning, we arrived in Zakarpattia and immediately took the car to a mechanic. During the trip, we identified a steering issue with the L200. Mechanic Leonid Bohachenko diagnosed a faulty front left joint and ball joint. We changed the differential oil, topped off all fluid levels, and replaced the alternator tensioner pulley.
On Friday, we visited schools where trench candles and camouflage nets were being made. The students managed to produce two camouflage nets for the soldiers. Everyone at the school is now involved in the net-making — they're fantastic!
Thursday and Friday were spent preparing for Saturday's departure eastward. We had arranged for the car to be painted, but due to delays with the repairs, we missed our appointment and another vehicle was painted instead. We decided to paint the car ourselves on Saturday. We rented a booth for three hours, prepped the car for spraying, and due to good weather in Irshava, painted it outside. Vasyl and Denis handled most of the painting, later joined by Andrej and the booth staff who helped as well.
In the evening, once the car was painted, we filled it with fuel and visited Mr. Pavel, who had donated a significant sum toward the purchase of this vehicle as part of his 90th birthday celebration. We told him the story of the car's preparation and took photos with him, his wife, Andrej, and Vasyl. We named the vehicle "Pavel 1933" after him.
Mr. Pavel wished us luck and sent greetings to the soldiers. That evening, Vasyl and Michal loaded both vehicles in a way that would allow for quick unloading by unit at the destination. Both cars were fully packed.
We set off Sunday morning. The drivers were Vasyl in the Vito van and Michal and Andrej in the L200 pickup. A soldier also accompanied us to his unit. Roman joined us in Central Ukraine to relieve Vasyl. We later met up with Andrej again and continued eastward.
The journey was very demanding, the toughest of the year. Preparations in Western Ukraine were barely completed within 2.5 days in order to deliver aid before the holidays. Freezing rain complicated the journey, and we had a minor accident with the L200, which became difficult to control when fully loaded on icy roads. We overcame the issue and continued on.
We arrived at the first delivery point near Dobropillia, at Artdivision. We handed over warm clothing, trench candles, warming pads, and received military artifacts for a school museum. Then we proceeded to Sloviansk to deliver the L200 and additional supplies. An air raid alert forced us to change the meeting point multiple times.
We handed over most of the items, including the vehicle, to the 4th Rapid Response Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). We explained to the soldiers what work had been done on the car, its condition, and provided documentation.
We also met with the 45th Brigade of the AFU, where we delivered personal items from their families and greetings from their home village in Zakarpattia. They've been at the front since 2017.
The reconnaissance troops were very grateful for the warming supplies, especially the trench candles and heating pads, which are critically needed. It was -3 °C when we arrived. The area had suffered from freezing rain for days, damaging power lines and felling trees. We delivered about 1,400 candles in the Vito and 370 in the L200 — nearly 1,800 total.
During our meeting with the reconnaissance unit, we discussed current needs and the overall situation. We also met with aerial reconnaissance representatives about FPV drones, receiving detailed insights and support for getting involved in drone production.
Our final delivery was in Kramatorsk, to the 3035th Brigade, to whom we had previously delivered the T4 evacuation vehicle and the "David" vehicle. It was great to see our car still operating and helping, even though it had bullet holes.
We delivered the remaining supplies. The unit explained that the situation has worsened, with aid being blocked at the border, resembling early 2022 conditions. Ammunition is in short supply at a ratio of 1:8, and precision has become more critical than ever.
They deeply appreciated our aid. In tough times, support is not just logistical but also a crucial morale boost, which they genuinely feel thanks to our supporters.
The second vehicle we delivered to Unit 3035, B2500 David, is awaiting repair. It was abandoned under fire in the forest. Once they can reach it, they will recover and likely repair it.
Our return journey was in the dark. Around 6 PM, we arrived in Central Ukraine, where we said goodbye to Roman, and sunlight welcomed us back to Western Ukraine. We visited the school that donated a Mavic drone for the soldiers. We delivered the wartime artifacts to the museum.
It was the most demanding mission of the year and also the last one for 2023. We sincerely thank our donors and volunteers for the support that we were able to pass on to the soldiers defending our freedom on the front line.
Everyone is exhausted but determined to continue. We are preparing for the next trip and organizing new support projects. Please help us — it is truly needed.
Reflecting on our 2023 efforts, we've seen through specific examples that although we are not a large organization, our help is vital — much like ammunition. We "fire" eight times less, but with precision. Our aid is requested by units who ask for what they truly need. When we fulfill these requests, we provide maximum impact with minimal resources. We cannot offer widespread support, but we deliver targeted, concentrated aid that is highly effective given its scale.
СЛАВА УКРАЇНІ! ГЕРОЯМ СЛАВА!
Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!
