Firefighters set off with aid convoy to Ukraine

Firefighters from Cheshire have joined a convoy of 30 vehicles delivering equipment to support Ukrainian firefighters.

It is being coordinated by the charity Fire Aid, and is the eighth such trip by UK firefighters since 2022.

So far the initiative has seen 119 vehicles and more than 200,000 pieces of equipment donated.

From Cheshire, three fire engines and equipment that is surplus to requirement is being taken to Ukraine by a team of nine staff volunteers.

"Our Ukrainian colleagues are working hard to save life and property in the most dire of circumstances, often at direct risk to their own lives," said Councillor Stef Nelson, chair of Cheshire Fire Authority.

"While this does not impact on the safety of residents of Cheshire, it can make a crucial difference to the brave firefighters in Ukraine and the communities they are trying so hard to help."

The fire service said figures from the State Emergency Services of Ukraine showed 100 firefighters had been killed, more than 400 injured, four currently held captive and one missing since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

The figures also state that more than 400 firehouses had been destroyed, along with about 1,700 vehicles. Nearly 100 firehouses were now in occupied territories.

Ukrainian firefighters continue to operate in the war zone - not as part of the conflict but to save lives and protect property - often at great personal risk.

Fire officer Dave Buckland, who organises the donations for Cheshire, said each time he put a call out within the service he was inundated with volunteers supporting the initiative.

"People pull together to see what they can donate in their fire and rescue services, with that being PPE and appliances of all shapes and sizes," he said.

He added: "It just astounds you that people really want to give up their time, they know it's going to be a hard journey, they're going to be away from their friends and family for a week or so.

"There's a lot of organising that goes into it, people give up that time and they want to do it."

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