Moray father returns from delivering aid to Ukrainian city Sumy which repelled Vladimir Putin’s Russian invaders
A Moray father who has just returned from his third aid mission to Ukraine has revealed how a people’s army of teenagers, pensioners and fathers – armed with stolen weapons – helped repel Russian invaders who tried to occupy their city.
Sumy was one of the first places to be attacked when Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, launched his offensive in February 2022.
Today the city remains under the protection of the Ukrainian government despite being just 20 miles from the frontline.
Danny Ralph, from Burghead, delivered 1.5 tonnes of vital equipment and everyday essentials to Sumy.
The 50-year-old said: “The people who fought back were teenagers and pensioners, and farmers with shotguns. They broke into the local barracks stores and took weapons. It was a civilian army.
“It has all the ingredients of a great film,” added Danny, an undertaker for Daniel Ralph and Sons and livery yard owner.
Danny’s passion for supporting the people of Ukraine was sparked when his family hosted a mum and her two daughters who fled Sumy at the start of the war, while the husband stayed behind to fight and their eldest son, who was of fighting age, had to stay in Ukraine.
Katia Voichenko, and her twins Masha and Kysusha were able to return to Sumy when the situation improved. Her partner Dima and son Lev are not allowed to leave Ukraine, Dima was conscripted two years ago and fortunately is still alive. Lev has not yet been called up.
“I spent five days with them in Sumy. It was great to see them again and they feel very much like part of my family, and they say the same about us.”
With eight million people displaced by the war – five million across different parts of Ukraine and three million “spread across the world” – Danny admits it is heartbreaking to see the conflict still raging two and a half years later.
This was his third aid mission to Ukraine under the banner of Moray Supports Ukraine and his consignment included 55 pairs of crutches, 48 zimmers, 10 wheelchairs, and 60 boxes of other items such as bandages, dressings, catheters, underwear, blankets, socks, tee-shirts, boots, first aid kits and paracetamol and other pain medication.
Much of that was supplied by the Wastebusters charity in Forres which takes in unwanted items and recycles them.
The Moray public also supported the mission with cash and other donations of items. In total the aid was valued at around £12,000 and the trip cost around £2,500 in terms of fuel and other costs.
Danny was accompanied by American aid worker Chelsea Brookes, who lives in Kilearn near Glasgow but is originally from Jacksonville, Florida. She did voluntary work in a children’s cancer ward in Kyiv while Danny continued on to Sumy.
Delivery of the items is done through a Non Governmental Organisation in Ukraine which, translated into English, is called Homeland Volunteers.
The items were distributed to trauma units, hospitals, orphanages and other places dealing with the impact of a war that shows no signs of ending.
Danny stayed in a hotel used by the United Nations during his stay in Sumy, which meant he was less vulnerable to the threat of missile attacks.
He described the people of the city as stoic in the face of the ongoing Russian aggression.
“The first five hours I was there the sirens went off four times. Everyone is supposed to run for the bomb shelters but they just carry on working. At one point the sirens went off about eight times a day and their attitude is if they keep closing the economy down it will grind to a halt.”
If you would like to support the efforts of Moray Supports Ukraine – you can make donations at Sort: 80-48-87; Acc: 15591264.
