An Edinburgh man who travelled to Ukraine’s frontline for an aid trip said that it has become “like what you see in the WW2 movies”.
Photos show abandoned tanks and missile craters littered around villages bordering combat zones.
Edinburgh Live recently spoke to Oleg Dmitriev – a Ukrainian expat and Edinburgh resident – prior to his most recent aid trip to the front line in Ukraine.
Oleg launched the charity Sunflower Scotland in the wake of the Ukraine war to deliver essential supplies to isolated villages [donate here].
Since the war began he has made 15 trips to Ukraine, most recently driving hundreds of miles from Edinburgh to Ukraine on December 26.
Oleg standing beside a bomb crater, 3km from the front line
(Image: Supplied)
Edinburgh Live caught up with Oleg after he returned to Edinburght to hear about the trip and how Ukrainians are faring as the war enters its third winter.
Oleg said: “Everybody on the frontline is afraid. The front line is advancing too fast and the world is not paying attention.”
Commenting on his emotions upon return, he said: “I’m not so much scared but I am numb. We were in villages [near the frontline] and you could hear artillery blasts in the distance. In Ukraine it always feels like there is a ton of pressure on your shoulders. There’s always danger.”
At points, Oleg was just three kilometers from the front line.
Photos from his trip show Oleg standing beside destroyed tanks, craters left from bombs, and decimated village buildings.
While conducting aid work, Oleg needs to be careful not to gather in large groups outside as he says Russian drones can strike 40km beyond the frontline.
Nonetheless, Oleg is determined to return again and again, saying “I see those people and speak with them and my heart breaks.”
Oleg said the Ukrainian frontline was “like a World War Two movie”
(Image: Supplied)
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On his recent trip he donated mattresses, t-shirts, tyres, a power generator, and a 4×4 SUV to civilians and military personnel.
He delivered clothes and mattresses to a hospital located 30 miles behind the frontline in Pokrovsk, where a local 150-bed hospital has been “overwhelmed” with over 200 soldiers.
Oleg said: “There were hospital beds in every corner of the hospital and it’s only getting worse everyday.
“It’s winter so there were soldiers with pneumonia, frostbite, and burns from missile strikes. Nurses work around the clock. It has become like what you see in the World War Two movies.”
Oleg brought Scottish treats like Tunnock’s caramel wafers and IrnBru to Ukrainian troops
(Image: Supplied)
He also donated winter tyres and a vehicle to 151st battalion, where Oleg said the soldiers had recently “sustained devastating casualties” and “lost tens of their comrades”.
He added: “Seeing people’s tragedies always leaves a dark scar. I am exhausted and emotionally drained yet eager to go back and help.”
Oleg is planning to undertake his next journey to the frontline in February. Sunflower Scotland is seeking donations to continue their aid work, particularly vehicles. You can support the charity by following this link.
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