Wigan Ukrainian family transports humanitarian aid to victims of war

A Ukrainian family living in Wigan, who helped relatives to flee the war, have been organising humanitarian aid to take to injured people still in their country.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

A team of Ukrainian Wigan residents – Svitlana Vordzhkina, her husband Ruslan Vordzkin and their friend Olegh Senechko – have been working together to collect vital medical items to be transported to the Ukraine border.

Humanitarian aid workers will then distribute the goods among those in desperate need still living in the war-torn country.

Read More
Wigan father and daughter kayak across the country
L to R: Olegh Senechko, Ruslan Vordzkin and Svitlana Vordzhkina.L to R: Olegh Senechko, Ruslan Vordzkin and Svitlana Vordzhkina.
L to R: Olegh Senechko, Ruslan Vordzkin and Svitlana Vordzhkina.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ruslan set off last Monday in a van, with a caravan in tow, to begin the journey down south to catch a ferry across to Belgium. He will then drive through Germany and Poland to meet aid workers at the Ukrainian border.

He said: “I will take what I can, which is the caravan and van. I expect the journey there and back to take me about two weeks.”

Svitlana and Ruslan helped to get her father Sergii, stepmother Ganna, sister-in-law Irena and nephew Nazar out of Ukraine and over to safety in the UK in May.

Unfortunately, they had to leave her brother Sergii Jr behind, as the rules state males between 18 and 60 must stay in Ukraine and defend the country from Russian attacks.

Ruslan with a van loaded with humanitarian aid items which he is driving all the way from the UK to the border of Ukraine.Ruslan with a van loaded with humanitarian aid items which he is driving all the way from the UK to the border of Ukraine.
Ruslan with a van loaded with humanitarian aid items which he is driving all the way from the UK to the border of Ukraine.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

While they were living through the war, with water and electricity supplies cut off, they could only send a text message every so often to their family in the UK to simply let them know they were still alive. They were forced to drink their own urine as they experienced extreme thirst.

The family members had a perilous nine-hour drive out of the city of Kharkiv, where they left all of their belongings behind apart from necessary documentation, and were told to “close their eyes” so as not to see the numerous vehicles left along the roadside with the dead bodies of families who did not make it out.

Svetlana and Ruslan also helped journalist Anatolii Shalaev, along with his wife and children, to escape the war and seek refuge with a host family in the North West. He is working to generate awareness and help to get humanitarian aid over to the people of Ukraine.

Anatolii said: “I am very grateful for all the help Svitlana and Ruslan have provided for me and my family and thank you to our host family.

Olegh, Ruslan and Svitlana pictured with a caran filled with humanitarian aid items which Ruslan is transporting to Ukraine.Olegh, Ruslan and Svitlana pictured with a caran filled with humanitarian aid items which Ruslan is transporting to Ukraine.
Olegh, Ruslan and Svitlana pictured with a caran filled with humanitarian aid items which Ruslan is transporting to Ukraine.

"I will never forget it.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Ukraine still needs a lot of medical aid for the people who have been injured during the war, not just soldiers but also civilians by rocket launches and ballistic missiles. Besides medical stuff, all things are helpful, even dried foods and socks.

“We need to involve the press more, especially those who are seeing things first-hand as people are already beginning to lose interest and forget that there is an ongoing war. We still need help and support.”

Since then, Svitlana has suffered a stroke and spent a stint in hospital, though she is now at home with her family and receiving speech therapy.

Some of the humanitarian aid items to be transported to victims of war in Ukraine.Some of the humanitarian aid items to be transported to victims of war in Ukraine.
Some of the humanitarian aid items to be transported to victims of war in Ukraine.

She also already suffers with other health conditions which have left her wheelchair-bound. Despite this, she has continued to work to help Ukrainian victims of war in any way she can.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Svitlana said: “It’s very important that we get help directly to the people straight away now, not tomorrow. We need to keep shining a light on what is happening.”

Olegh said: “The towns are under attack and are being brought down to the ground, it’s not just the frontline.

"I say to people, ‘Whatever you see on the news, times that by a thousand’.

"If we did not stand up for our country, the next could be Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, any neighbouring country in Europe.

"We are the shield to all that.”

Walking frames and chairs all pakaged and ready to be transported to Ukraine.Walking frames and chairs all pakaged and ready to be transported to Ukraine.
Walking frames and chairs all pakaged and ready to be transported to Ukraine.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ruslan will drive the load to a humanitarian aid organisation called Parfenon and its head of charity Volodymyr Krechovetsky.

The distribution of goods is then prioritised and provided to regions which are most under attack and unable to function, to some degree, under the circumstances.

Many civilians are missing limbs due to the continuous shelling of towns and many more are injured.

Items such as wheelchairs, crutches and walking frames are now in demand. Other wanted items include hospital mattresses, hospital beds and more simple day-to-day items like underwear, socks, soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes, as well as the ever-necessary food, water and medication.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Olegh is holding more aid items, organised by Svitlana and Ruslan, at his storage unit, where they currently have around 20 pallets and could fill seven more before they will need a lorry and potentially a driver to help them get it to Ukraine.

Svitlana said: “We really need a lorry, it’s been really difficult and we are still looking for one. If anyone could help us with that, we would really appreciate it. We have worked alongside the Government, following their guidelines and have all the necessary paperwork to make the journeys.”

Olegh said: “You’d be surprised but pretty much everything is needed out there, even vans and pick-up trucks. Medics can use these as ambulances to transport injured people to safety for medical attention. But those vehicles have a maximum life-span before they are destroyed by explosions, and then they need more.

"Things like insect repellent is also something that people need. In the UK, you don’t have issues with mosquitoes but we do out there and lots of people are being bitten so bad with no protection. On top of wounds and dirt and not having access to water facilities, their limbs are becoming gangrenous.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We have a lot more vital items that we need to transport over to the Ukraine border but we still haven’t found a lorry to take it all.

“That is what we need help with right now, so we can get these things over to people.”

Related topics: