Tyrone man launches ambitious appeal to save Ukrainian lives

A VOLUNTEER military archeologist and bomb disposal expert from Tyrone who has spent most of the last two years in Ukraine is appealing for locals to donate vehicles and machinery to aid the war effort.

Jonathan Baynard, who recently returned to Omagh following another stint in the war-torn Eastern European nation, is asking people to part with four-by-fours, plant machinery and any other kind of mechanical equipment that could be ‘put to better use’ in the ongoing conflict.

The Omagh man moved to Ukraine soon after the Russian invasion, which officially began on February 24, 2022.

Since that time, he has watched fellow volunteers and close friends lose their lives, narrowly escaping death himself on several occasions.

However, rather than being deterred by the horrors he has witnessed, Jonathan’s resolve has only been strengthened by the bloodshed, making him more determined than ever to help save innocent lives and bring about a Ukrainian victory.

“I am as sure as I ever have been about what I am doing. This is why I have started this initiative to try to get people to donate items that could be put to really good use on the frontline,” said the 34-year-old.

INSPIRATION

Jonathan, who wrote a wartime column for our sister newspaper, the UlsterHerald, for about a year, then explained the inspiration behind his new appeal.

“It is tough out there at the minute and things like four-by-fours are unbelievably valuable. They are like gold; so highly sought-after.”

Since arriving home in Omagh, Jonathan said he has noticed vehicles and pieces of machinery sitting idle that would ‘literally be life-saving assets’ in Ukraine.

“I know most things people own are put to good use, but there is definitely some stuff – jeeps, diggers, plant machinery, whatever – that they aren’t really using, don’t intend on selling, and would be willing to donate if only they understood the difference it was going to make,” he explained.

“Jeeps are essential for frontline medics that are out there saving lives and diggers are needed to recover bodies buried beneath the rubble.”

CONFIDENT

This might sound like an unrealistic prospect, getting people to donate such expensive pieces of property. However, Jonathan is confident that some locals will be amenable to the idea.

“My friend Finn has been doing the same thing in England for a while and it has worked really well.

“Once a month, there is a convoy that travels the whole way across Europe to Ukraine.

“Anybody who wishes to make a donation will be given the opportunity to be part of the convoy, which allows them to get a sense of both where their donation is going and what it is going to be used for.

“Obviously, you don’t have to go, you can just donate and we’ll take it there for you, but actually transporting the thing there makes the impact you are having that bit more tangible. From what I have seen, it creates a much stronger connection between a person’s act of generosity and the good that comes from it. People tend to feel like they have made more or a difference.”

While many that join the land crossing cavalcade choose to ride as far as the Polish border, or even onto Lviv, a city 70km into western Ukraine, some make the decision to make their exit earlier, flying home from Germany or another country in between.

l If you would like to make a donation or simply want to find out more, contact Jonathan on 0041 7888 666 49 or email him on ‘jonathan.baynard@gmail.com’.