FAQs - Ukraine UK Aid
Who are we?
My name is Elliott Svatos and I live on the South Coast of the UK near Bournemouth. At the start of the invasion, a few of us decided to create a group of likeminded people who wanted to help Ukraine. Over time this group has grown and expanded and now we have people from all over the UK that help us in various roles. I run the group, we also work very closely with Village Help for Ukraine, a wonderful group of people, run by Hannah and Allison.
Why do we do this?
I have a friend in Ukraine Mykolia Fomin, whom I have known for nearly 9 years. In fact you may have seen him on the TV! He was a guide for the Chornobyl Zone before the invasion and that is how we first met.
He has taken celebrities such as the Top Gear Guys, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May and also Ben Fogle to the Zone of Exclusion in Chornobyl. I myself have been to Chornobyl many times with my friend and when he asked me for help in the early days of the Invasion, how could I say no.
How did we get started?
In the early days, we had no ability to go to Ukraine ourselves, it was simply too dangerous. We started off shipping aid on pallets to Lithuania, where another of Mykolia’s friends lived, and he would drive it into Ukraine. We sent many tons of aid this way.
Why did you decide to send cars?
My first trip to Ukraine after the Invasion was in late May 2022. I drove to Ukraine and met up with Mykolia (or short name Nick as I shall call him now).
We met up with some Police from the Chornobyl Zone and they explained that during the occupation, all of the Police cars were destroyed.
I had a moment of insanity and decided there and then to fund raise for one car to give to them. The rest is history as they say.
We met up with some Police from the Chornobyl Zone and they explained that during the occupation, all of the Police cars were destroyed.
I had a moment of insanity and decided there and then to fund raise for one car to give to them. The rest is history as they say.
How do you decide who to give the cars to?
We very carefully vet everyone we talk to. We have 3 conditions when we donate the cars, it must be Legal and above board. We always get all the correct paper work to prove the cars have been given to the Army.
The Cars are ALWAYS given away. We do not and will not ever accept any money for them. The cars MUST go to a front line unit.
The Cars are ALWAYS given away. We do not and will not ever accept any money for them. The cars MUST go to a front line unit.
This means a lot more work for us, but the cars must do good.
How much are the cars and which cars do you use?
We use Nissan X-Trails, we know the cars, they are super reliable and the Army love them. We never spend over £1000 on a car now. Quite often we get them for less. Cheapest so far has been £600.
We have been told that near the front line, there are more RHD X-Trails than any other car!
We have been told that near the front line, there are more RHD X-Trails than any other car!
What aid do you take over and how do you decide what to take?
We always speak to our contacts in the Ukrainian Military to find out what the priority items are. We are very limited in what we can take, as obviously we cannot take weapons or even armour. However we concentrate on the items that makes the guys lives easier and more comfortable. So t-shirts, underwear, food, torches, batteries etc. Sometimes, we get a particular request for an item such as drone batteries or binoculars, and we are happy to help with that as well.
Why doesn’t the Ukrainian Government supply all this, why is it up to us to help?
Simply put, the Ukrainian economy has been nearly destroyed by the war. Over 50% of the GDP is being spend on defending themselves. Additionally, the size of the Ukrainian armed forces has increased massively over the past 9 months, due to mobilisation.
The Country just does not have the resources to supply every soldier with anything but the basics. So you get one pair of trousers, one jacket and a gun. That's it, most new recruits have to self fund for the basic items such as body armour and helmets! Now, imagine that with that level of problems, the last thing they will get are cars.
The Country just does not have the resources to supply every soldier with anything but the basics. So you get one pair of trousers, one jacket and a gun. That's it, most new recruits have to self fund for the basic items such as body armour and helmets! Now, imagine that with that level of problems, the last thing they will get are cars.
What are the cars used for?
This is a tricky one to say, because often details are vague for security reasons, however we know that often, the X-Trails are used for Casualty evacuation. Also general transport of troops and supplies on and around the front line. The life span of these vehicles is measured in months. If they are not destroyed by enemy fire, the terrain will.
Is this an effective use of my money?
Yes, it is. Aside from the utility of these vehicles, an X-Trail is incredibly expensive in Ukraine. One with more miles and in a worse condition would typically be 3-4 times of the cost of the cars we take over. So your money goes a lot further. A bit like Tesco Clubcard points!
How can I help more?
Fundraise is the biggest help. We have many people around the UK that independently raise money for us, Cake Sales, selling items, running stalls at events. Anything that raises money will help us enormously.
Please engage with us on Facebook, share, comment and this helps our visibility. If you can find cars for us, then that is a huge help! Message me and I will advise what we need.
We sometimes also need drivers for our missions. Again please message me if you feel you could help with that.
Please engage with us on Facebook, share, comment and this helps our visibility. If you can find cars for us, then that is a huge help! Message me and I will advise what we need.
We sometimes also need drivers for our missions. Again please message me if you feel you could help with that.
Where does the money go?
This I feel is the most important question to ask!
There are 3 things we spend you money on.
1. Cars.
2. Ferry.
3. Fuel.
Everything else is self funded, car tax and insurance we pay ourselves. Car maintenance we either do or pay for.
Hotels, food, trains, taxis, buses, flights.
Everything else is self funded.
So you can be assured we are not using your money to have a holiday!
There are 3 things we spend you money on.
1. Cars.
2. Ferry.
3. Fuel.
Everything else is self funded, car tax and insurance we pay ourselves. Car maintenance we either do or pay for.
Hotels, food, trains, taxis, buses, flights.
Everything else is self funded.
So you can be assured we are not using your money to have a holiday!
You can subscribe to our emails for all our mission updates and new products, or you can find any other details you might need through our Facebook pages below.