A SCOTS dad who has been providing continuous aid to Ukraine is set to travel out to the war-torn country one year on from the Russian invasion to deliver a series of ‘peacekeeping pick-ups’.
Dominic Harris set up Jeeps for Peace in February 2022 and has been continually transporting aid – ranging from food to generators to vehicles – to help the Ukrainian people survive.
The 56-year-old will now head out east again next week to deliver the organisation’s next batch of vehicular aid, having sent over 30 vehicles already – mostly composed of Mitsubishi Warriors.
Dominic from Marchmont, Edinburgh is launching the next fleet from Edinburgh’s Usher Hall on Friday, where they will begin the almost 2,000 mile drive to Lyiv, Ukraine.
The dad-of-two’s efforts have been well received by Ukraine, with the vehicles being described as “rockstars of the eastern front” following an appearance on Ukrainian state television.
The fleet of pick-ups are intended to be used as multi-purpose vehicles across the front and have so far driven wounded personnel to safety and delivered food to cut-off areas.
The vehicles cost around £3,000 each and once they are in possession of Jeeps for Peace, arrangements are made with local militia to meet and take possession of the pick-ups.
The team at Jeeps for Peace now want to help those who have been left behind in Ukraine, given their previous focus was on helping evacuate women and children from the war-torn country.
The convoy will also deliver a large quantity of Nairn’s porridge and oatcakes to help continue to feed the soldiers on the front line as well as those left in Ukrainian towns and cities.
Dominic is an international travel director and lead singer of the band Dominic Waxing Lyrical – which is a world away from his ongoing efforts in Ukraine.
Speaking today (WED) Dominic said: “It’s just switched to providing pick-up trucks to Ukraine, we’re doing a convoy on Monday – going to Usher Hall on Friday and sending our 35th vehicle on Monday.
“They are rockstars of the eastern front, we can put wounded people in the back and drive them to safety.
“We do have a JustGiving page called Jeeps for Peace – there’s a couple of American heiresses who fund what we do and a hedge manager in Edinburgh.
“I have somehow become a lynchpin, I’ve found myself in this position finding myself as a fixer – we arrive just south of Lyiv on Thursday and the militia will come to us.
“We provide a missing link to get people to safety.
“It’s strange, they talk about the Russians coming at them like zombies and pouring into the places in Ukraine, they talk about the soldiers being half dead.
“My take away from it is air alarms, unharvested wheat and lots of power cuts, it’s not normal – the shops are open but it’s not a normal existence.
“We’re going out of solidarity, there is a low level of danger all the time, but we’re happy to take the risk.
“It has switched from helping people who have left Ukraine to helping those who are left behind.
“The magic of these vehicles is that we like to think it’s inspirational, I’m still a bit dumbfounded that we were on TV in Ukraine.
“It struck the chord and it is just empathy – the various authorities will get us a train and then we will fly in.
“Each jeep is about £3,000 and some people we are taking in work for charities, a woman got 17,000 sunflowers folded in Barlinnie – it is nice to be able to help other people.
“The headmistress of my son’s school at Sciennes Primary organised the children to paint and the football team is sending over 20 footballs.
“Most Ukrainian children have dads who are out there risking their lives for the country so we show some empathy.
“Nairn’s have been fantastic as they give us tons of porridge and oatcakes, they’ve been fantastic and help feed the soldiers and the people behind the lines as well.”
If you would like to donate to Jeeps for Peace you can do so by visiting here: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/jeepsforpeace
