Convoys take farmers' donated pickups from Scotland to Ukraine

Convoys of 4x4 vehicles donated by farmers are being driven from Scotland to help the people of Ukraine.

The Pickups 4 Peace programme has been developed by Angus farmer Mark Laird, along with Keith Dawson from Peebles and Vince Gillingham from Wiltshire.

The vehicles are being used to deliver humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

They have also been used to transport dead and injured soldiers from the front line across rough ground to waiting ambulances.

The charity has doubled its original target and now aims to supply 200 pickups to Ukraine.

It is already half way towards that total, which it expects to meet by the end of the summer.

The latest batch is expected to help with the rescue effort in areas flooded by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam.

Entire towns have been left submerged in the flood waters which have also carried polluting machine oil downstream, along with dislodged landmines.

The donated vehicles can each be worth between £5,000 and £10,000 but have to meet MoT test standards before making the long trip.

Each is sprayed with a matt paintwork in Nato green before being loaded up with supplies including generators, food and clothing.

Convoys then travel 1,400 miles through the Netherlands, Germany and Poland before crossing the Ukraine border.

The 4x4s are handed over at a military base in Lviv where they are blessed by a local priest before being put to use.

Co-founder Mark Laird runs farming businesses in both Scotland and Ukraine, and has more than 100 employees in the war-torn country.

He said some members of his team had seen the vehicles in action.

"Quite clearly, from what we're seeing and the stories we're getting back, they're making a difference.

"We set out around Christmas time to get 100 trucks and we thought that was a real challenge.

"But we actually achieved the 100th pickup last month and the response has been really, really positive."

Mark's wife Luisa has driven some of the pickups in the five convoys which have so far travelled to Ukraine.

Drivers from the latest trip returned to the UK earlier this week. They transported 23 vehicles, taking the total to 137.

She said: "You see quite a lot of people lining the streets, waving flags.

"When you go in the military base to drop your vehicle off, a lot of the older ones and the younger one stand. We were very well received."

The pickups are delivered to the 24th Lviv Danylo Separate Mechanized Brigade, which is about one hour from the Polish border.

Much of the spraying is being carried out by Ukrainian farm workers living in Angus.

They include Yuriy Maik, who explained: "P4P is a very big project. It helps Ukraine on a huge scale.

"I am very grateful to such people as Mark - but mostly to farmers who do not hold back and invest their money and their machinery.

"It's a massive assistance to our Ukraine and our Armed Forces, a huge support."