Journeys to Ukraine

The February journey was the completion of work on the Ford Ranger, which my brother Martin and I had transported to Zakarpattia in January 2025. It was the first time we traveled from Prague as a pair; for Jirka Pospíšil, it was his first trip. The advantage was that I could prepare him for what to expect.

One of the reasons I travel to Ukraine with aid is to gather information and emotions that I can personally share with volunteers and donors. I try to write about the journeys directly from the field, during moments when I’m not behind the wheel or sleeping in the passenger seat. While the writing may not be of the highest literary quality, it is authentic—so I kindly ask for your understanding.
If you're curious about how things went this time, feel free to dive in and transport yourself a few days back and two and a half thousand kilometers eastward.

In ten days, it will be a year since I first went to Ukraine—where the idea was born to help in more than just a financial way. It’s a good time to reflect...

Our second mission to Ukraine this year was directed to the southern front, to Zaporizhzhia, to support the newly assisted 453rd Independent Infantry Unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

A request came from the southern front for a refrigerated vehicle to transport soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. In thought, this mission brings us as close to death in Ukraine as one can be. Yet, we are still surrounded by peace and prosperity here, and so we need time to process it.

It was the most demanding trip of the year—everyone’s exhaustion is evident even in the photos. However, what truly matters is that we achieved our goal and delivered the aid to our units!

Thanks to the maximum dedication of our collaborators and the support of our donors, we were able to prepare another vehicle for the journey fairly quickly and set out on another aid mission.

The October trip to eastern Ukraine was one of the more demanding ones. The weather did not cooperate, and we drove a significant part of the journey in fog—slowly and without stops. We were glad to be traveling in a convoy of five vehicles and to have enough drivers to take turns.

This journey is described by Honza Riedl himself, one of the organizers of the aid mission. As you read his story, you feel as if you are traveling alongside him. He tells it authentically—in his own words. Nothing captures the experience quite like a story told by someone who has lived it. More than once.

Part of our trip to Ukraine in June 2023 included transporting a T4 van designed for evacuation of the wounded, an ambulance for first aid. We repaired the vehicle, modified it to requirements and transported it to Ukraine where we handed it over to Supply Unit 4. Rapid Reaction Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine to the Kremlin area.