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Haggis for Heroes sends 'Burns Box' to soldiers in Ukraine

Cafe Ukraine Cafe UkraineCafe Ukraine
Cafe Ukraine have also given Yuri Kamaran (R) a "Burns Box" to take to the frontline soldiers

A Clackmannanshire café has launched a "Haggis for Heroes" appeal to send the Burns Night favourite to frontline troops in Ukraine.

The idea came after Yuri Kamaran, a Ukrainian refugee living in Dollar, told his brother, who is a soldier, how much he enjoyed haggis.

The café is now sending a batch to Ukraine for the soldiers to try and has appealed for donations.

The first consignment hit the road on Wednesday.

The café is hopeful it will arrive in time for Burns Night on 25 January.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky shares his birthday with poet Robert Burns.

Cafe Ukraine Burns BoxCafe Ukraine
The Burns Box has everything the soldiers will need to host their own Burns Supper

Café Ukraine owner Alan Smart told BBC Scotland's The Nine: "We did a Burns Supper and Yuri was telling his brother, who's in the Ukrainian Army, how much he liked Scottish haggis.

"And the guy, who is an officer on the front line, said that sounds exactly the type of grub that our guys would like."

The café is sending tinned haggis rather than the traditional version.

'Wee book about Burns'

Mr Smart said: "Canned haggis is actually quite good. We couldn't send the skin, we were advised strongly against it because you've got to cook it properly and it could deteriorate.

"One of the reasons corned beef became popular in the UK was during World War One it was the practical way to get beef or meat to front line soldiers safely."

Mr Kamaran, who is a Ukrainian refugee and Baptist minister, began his journey this week to deliver the haggis to the troops.

Mr Smart said: "We did this thing for him called the Burns Box, everything you need to have a Burns Supper.

"Shortbread, haggis, a wee book about Burns, the portrait, so he's taking the Burns Box and one of the units is going to have a Burns Supper."