Ukraine 2025 – One year on and the war is escalating
OCTOBER 30, 2025
What a team.
There are fewer things more rewarding than being part of a team on a mission. Our September trip to Ukraine was an incredible experience of teamwork and shared purpose. The trip involved over 9 months of preparation; acquiring jeeps and ambulances, sourcing medical supplies and managing the trip logistics for 15 vehicles, 30 drivers and 15 cyclists.
Once again, we partnered with Jeeps For Peace, the Scottish humanitarian group founded by Stewart Ford, which has delivered over 600 jeeps to Ukraine. Stewart and his team provide all our logistics inside Ukraine and ensure that all donations go to trusted relationships and to people that most need our support.
During those preparatory months everyone pulled together, there was a real sense of unity from the get-go. Humanitarian trips like these are not possible without the energy, commitment and support of multiple volunteers. Everyone gave generously of their time, money and relationships to secure so much support, with the emphasis on medical supplies to save lives. Only a team effort could make the journey possible.
No one is Indifferent, a word we heard in 2024 in Auschwitz to help us all better understand how the holocaust was allowed to happen during the Second World War – Indifference by people who could have stopped it and chose not to. Everyone was all in, really wanting to help in any way that they could.
The sendoff. Two churches stood side by side, wonderful leadership.
The sendoff and blessing at the Holy Rosary Church in Greystones was special. Children from local schools filled the Church alongside family, friends and supporters. Also, some Ukrainian people now living locally. There were a few speeches and wonderful singing. The story featured on the National news, in multiple newspapers, on radio stations and across social media. That was a good start for our first objective; Goal 1- continuing to raise Awareness of the war and the sacrifices of the Ukrainian people.
Church of Ireland Archbishop Michael Jackson and Bishop Donal Roche the auxiliary Bishop of Dublin presided over the church ceremony and blessing, supported by Canon David Mungavin (St Patricks, Church of Ireland) and Fr Bernardo Luis Miguel De Nardo (The Holy Rosary Catholic Church), a wonderful demonstration of inter-church leadership in a world crying out for ethical, caring and humble leaders.
We visited First and Second World War memorials
After arriving in Cherbourg our first stop was at the Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium, which stands as a solemn memorial to more than 54,000 soldiers of the British Commonwealth who lost their lives in World War I and have no known graves. Every evening at 8 p.m. since 1928, the Last Post ceremony has been held beneath its grand arch, where buglers play in tribute to the fallen. The ritual, paused only during World War II, continues to this day, a powerful reminder of sacrifice, remembrance, and the enduring human cost of war. The 20-minute ceremony was solemn, moving, about 2,000 people in attendance.
Further stops along the way included Second World War memorials including The Wings of Liberation Museum in Holland and Colditz Castle near Leipzig, Germany. Witnessing such intimate portraits of previous wars helps prepare us all for what we will see in Ukraine – A real time live war that is killing hundreds of thousands of young people, displacing millions and spreading fear, panic and hatred.
"As they travelled through Europe, The Team visited World War 1 and World War 2 memorials, reminders of the horrors of conflict, the suffering of too many people"
The night before we crossed into Ukraine we met at the border with the 15 Irish cyclists and 50 Scottish drivers. It was a wonderful coming together, an expanded tribe, a lot of good fun though there was also a sense of anticipation and uncertainty, especially for those on their first trip
The travelling team meet with the cyclists and the Scottish convoy at the Border – 2 ambulances and €1 million of medical supplies.
Back into Ukraine.
We had a 5 am start, then, for some, an 8-hour delay at the border with really frustrating bureaucracy, leaving Poland and then entering Ukraine. The first stop was Kolomaya, which should have been about a three-hour drive, though took considerably longer. Phone coverage is poor inside Ukraine, access to the Internet sporadic, navigation became a challenge and many of us got lost. What were supposedly primary roads, were mostly pretty impassable, so many potholes. The roads are deteriorating and there is no money to fix them.
That first evening we attended a function and met with some military, medics and their families. It was intimate, an opportunity to engage and chat with the locals. There were musicians and singers and significant appreciation of the support we are providing. Though the evening was mostly a celebration, you could sense the sadness and despair. The soldiers, on leave for a few days, were not laughing so much, their sunken and deadened eyes told their own stories.
The following morning, we visited a local school where the students performed a small concert. In the hallways, there were memorials to past students who have fallen in the war. It was incredibly moving. Some of these schoolkids could be conscripted in the coming months. They will still be children.
Delivering support to the people who most need it
In Kolomaya we handed over the bulk of the jeeps to military units. The jeeps are heading to the frontline. On average each jeep will last only 90 days before it is blown up or damaged beyond repair. This is because of the speeds they must travel at, over rough land, trying to escape the drones trying to kill them. In this short 3-month window the jeeps will save lives, rapidly transporting injured soldiers from the battlefield. In The Superhuman rehabilitation centre in Kviv we met a soldier whose life was saved because there was a jeep close by, waiting. He lost a leg and an arm, though he is alive, and incredibly appreciative that he still has his life despite his horrendous injuries.
All our support is Community to Community, delivering aid to the people that most need it.
The handover of our medical supplies, conservatively estimated at over €1 million included 20 Ultrasound devices, from Butterfly, a US company. They are used in the battlefield to provide an immediate diagnosis. This very generous donation (€100,000 in value) via Irish company PEI Surgical is enabling frontline medics to provide the most immediate and relevant care to soldiers where the right diagnosis can sustain life until a soldier is evacuated. Combined; the jeeps, the ambulances and the medical equipment & supplies we delivered ensured we delivered on the third and the most important of our objectives. Goal 3- Saving Ukrainian lives.
The average lifespan of a jeep is 90 days
Rebuilding communities
While in Kolomaya the cycling team donated a mobile kitchen and a jeep to tow it when on the move. Dublin business CaterHire contributed tables, chairs and kitchen utensils. The kitchen was handed over to the care of Fr Ivan Gunya of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The kitchen has been brought to Zaporizhzhia on the banks of the Dnieper River close to the frontline. From here it will serve communities trying to rebuild, the kitchen being the heart of any home, a place to gather, connect, share stories. Hopefully Inspire some hope.
The Cyclists donated a mobile kitchen for communities at the frontline, CaterHire donated tables, chairs and kitchen utensils
Supporting Rehabilitation Centres
Our next stop was The Warmth of A Winged Soul Rehabilitation Centre outside Kolomaya founded by Natalia Tarabalks in memory of her son, Stepan, a fighter jet pilot who was killed in 2022. Natalia has given over her own home to house injured soldiers, sleeps in a bed in her small office and has dedicated her life and her savings to help soldiers suffering physical injuries, also PTSD. We provided Natalia with some basic medical supplies, crutches, medicines, medical boots and some rehabilitation equipment. We can do more for Natalia, we must do more.
We donated a minibus and medical supplies to the Superhuman centre in Lviv
In Lviv the team donated the minibus to the Superhuman Rehabilitation Centre which houses over 100 soldiers at any one time. We also donated wheelchairs and crutches. So many boys without legs and arms. The horrors of war are now so very real to us. The lessons of the first and second world wars seem forgotten. A recurring team discussion point revolves around those seemingly forgotten lessons, the really crap leadership running the world, their lack of humanity and their mostly inconsistent commitment to Ukraine. This is actually a toned-down description of our chats!!
Aidan Phelan donated an ambulance to the care of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
“I believe that we endure these sufferings and pains to cultivate greater empathy, compassion, and love for others while drawing closer to God. ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep’ (Romans 12:15). I hope that after this war, both I and all of us will more fully embody this quote.”
Standing shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainian people
While the drivers were enroute to Lviv the cycling guys were facing wind, rain and poor road conditions. The team in the saddle were a great demonstration of our Goal 2- Standing shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainian people. This solidarity, in-country support, is so important for the people, not to feel so alone in their war with Russia. There are very few people visiting Ukraine since the war began and they really appreciate anyone who makes the effort. For over 70km and in tough conditions the cyclists made us (warm and safe(ish)) drivers all feel very proud. In Lviv the cyclists were given a very warm welcome by the Angel Fund Charity who distributed the donated bikes to some very worthy people, adults and children.
The cyclists donated their bikes to families and Children who lost fathers and sons in the war.
Goal 2- Standing shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainian people.
Inspiring Music, song and hope
That evening in Lviv The Bridge and Jeeps For Peace hosted a small concert in the Storograd music venue. The Ukrainian artist Slava Vakarchuk from top rock band Olkean Elzy was unable to attend though sent a video of support. Ukrainian bagpiper Eugene (Yevhenii Skvortsov) very movingly performed the Ukrainian, Irish & Scottish National Anthems. Tetyana Shyshnyak, joined us from Rome, and performed a beautiful chant supported by the Dudaryk Choir from Lviv, who also performed a number of songs together. Nathan Johnston, travelled from Ireland and performed solo before Ukrainian rock band Panchyshyn & Svit took to the stage. All of the singers closed out the evening with a very moving rendition of Oi U Luzi Chervona Kalyna, a song that dates back to World War I and symbolises Ukraine’s resilience and freedom. The music, the singing, the incredible energy lifted everyone in the room, just a really positive way to connect people, even if was the middle of a war zone.
Nathan was MC at the concert in Lviv, he also performed with local Ukrainian artists.
"If there is one thing that is constant in this world, it is the power of music."
The Graveyard has doubled in size.
On our last day in Lviv, we visited the local graveyard, we have come here on the last three trips. The graveyard has more than doubled in size in the last year, there must be thousands of young people buried here. It is incredibly sad when you see the mothers, wives and children bringing flowers to the graves of their loved ones, mostly very young people who have sacrificed their lives to protect their country, freedom and democracy.
“The war is started by career soldiers, and finished by teachers, engineers, accountants.”
Love and Kindness in the Rozdil special need home
Our last stop was the Rozdil Special Needs Home. We donated a minibus to the home in 2024. This year we were able to meet all of their requests for support including winter clothes for the 80 residents, a new industrial oven and kitchenware for the home which was very kindly donated by Irish company Home Store and More. The care team running the Rozdil home are amazing, kind and loving people led by Yulia Kalyta. Many of the residents were relocated here away from the dangers of the frontline. Amidst all the emotion Noel Shannon donated €500 to Yulia on behalf of an Irish supporter. This led to the driving & cycling team doing an instinctive whip around which raised over €2,000. The money is being used to help build a playground for the boys.
Where have all the flowers gone?
We left Ukraine for Krakow by bus, finally some quiet time for everyone after 8 tough days on the road. One of the takeaways for me, looking out that bus window, was how the fields have changed. Three years ago, Ukraine was the breadbasket of Europe, enormous fields, golden, a beautiful vista. The crops have not been harvested the last few years; there are now ugly weeds growing through them.
In that moment, I thought about the anti-war song Where have all the flowers gone.
Where have all the young men gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young men gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young men gone?
They’re all in uniform
Oh, when will you ever learn?
Oh, when will you ever learn?
The day after we left Lviv and in the following days the city was bombed. 4 people died including a 15-year-old girl and three of her family. Two of our team Eoin O’Reilly and Oleksandra Kunitska (Alex) who is from Lviv, had stayed on for a few days. For both the experience was surreal, the sirens, the bombs, the panic. And then all clear is given and everything returns to normal. Normal? Is living with bombs raining down on you, killing you, normal?
Leaving Ukraine
To the people in Ukraine
On behalf of our Bridge team, the drivers, the cyclists, Jeeps for Peace, our Scottish friends, from all of us who travelled to Ukraine, it has been a humbling privilege to visit your country, to witness your sacrifices first hand, to hear your stories of pain and loss. To watch you singing and dancing amid the unbelievable suffering you are enduring is incredibly moving for all of us. It could be our children, sons, brothers, daughters in those graves.
Thank you; for protecting your country, your families, friends and neighbours and us in Europe and beyond, who owe you a debt that can never be repaid. Your fight for democracy, for human rights, for a normal life for your children and families deserves so much more than the world is giving you. Unfortunately, and despite the lessons from so many wars, Indifference is never so far away from sacrifice, struggle, pain and conflict. So very sad, so very true,
“Do not be indifferent”
THANK YOU
We have some many people to thank, incredibly generous supporters.
The Drivers, who gave their time and money to travel across Europe, to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainian people.
Brian O’Sullivan, Bill Hughes, Gordon Anderson, Ben Anderson, Shane Hatton, Diarmuid O’ Riordan Keith Wilson, Arthur Ebbs, Paddy Wilson, Graham Wilson, John McArdle, Neil McArdle, David Clarkin, Martin McDonald, Noel Shannon, Roc Mehigan, Luke Ferguson, Eddie Evans, Doney Flinn, Conor Power, Paul (Cruiser) O’Grady, Eddie Byrne, Daragh Cafferky, Eoin O’Reilly, Michael O’Brien, Tom Creed, Greg Lawless, Stephen (Sammy) Byrne and from Krakow on Nathan Johnston and Tetyana Shyshnyak.
The Cyclists team, who rode through Ukraine in the wind and rain, raising awareness of the war, and who donated their bikes to deserving children and adults.
Derry Shaw. Brian McDermott, Fintan Flood, John Flood, Liam Hogan, Brian Cagney, Hamish Gillespie, Ger Murphy, Joshua Delaney. Siobhan (Shiv) Hickey, Tara O’ Callaghan, Barry (Baz) Fitzgerald, Steven Courtney and Albert Hool (Joined by Keith and Arthur from the drivers’ team)
The sponsors, who provided funding, goods and services, and individuals who donated significantly.
Eamoon Rothwell (Irish Ferries who provided free vehicle travel and accommodation for the drivers), Jonathan Stanley ( Home Store & More), Aidan Phelan, who donated an ambulance, Axa Insurance, Greg Moore, Downer International, The Beach House (Greystones), Focus Advertising, Beauchamps Solicitors, Shannon Energy, Greg Hayden, Ethos Engineering, Keoghs crisps, Brian Fitzsimons (ABCO KOVEX), Samantha Roff and John Bateson at Venson Automotive, Peter Butler, Nicola Kearney, Mark and Yvonne McInerney, Bill O’Leary and Gabrielle Cocoman, Lydia & Simon Ensor, Des McGarry, Frank Colgan, Frank Keeling, Jackie Kavanagh, Vincent Shannon, Richie Boucher, Gerry McGrath, Maura Prendeville, Evelyn Coulson, Gerry Shannon, Philip Robinson, Billy O’Sullivan, Coralie Martin, Eoin O’Heochaigh, Pat Mulvey (Lock Doctor) and the many others who made a donation,
The people and businesses who provided medical supplies.
Finola Harrington, Tony Kiely (PEI Surgical), Niamh from Smith and Nephew (Ireland), Mark Tormey ( Crumlin Children’s Hospital) David & Robert Murray ( Murray Medical), Denise Mooney ( Blackrock Clinic), Graham Wilson, Michael Cullen & Damian Meaney (Beacon Hospital), Dr Geraldine O’Reilly & John O Meara (St James Hospital),Jade and the stores team ( St Vincent’s Private Hospital), Anthony McCarthy ( Beaumont Hospital), St Michael’s Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, Mary Ryan Pharmacy, Mount Merrion, Rowex pharmaceutical, Nurse Patricia Madden, Nurse Bernie Caffrey, Anne Bouchier hayes, Susan Hayes, Yvonne Beale, Niall McCaughey. The Men’s Shed, Naas, Roisin Purcell and the Jesuit priests in Milltown. Karl Doran (Tallaght Hospital), Kate & the team @ VHI Carrickmines, Rob @ VHI Swords, GP DR Fergus Cronin, Freda O’Keefe (Greystones Physio) Mary Murphy (Limerick University Hospital), Milltown Golf Club and so many other people who dropped by with a wheelchair, crutch, walker, medical boot or supplies for the orphanage. Niamh from Smith and Nephew
The Greystones Community who provided church & school support for the journey, also clothing and supplies for the orphanage.
Bishop Donal Roche, The Holy Rosary Church, Elaine O’Brien, Fr Bernardo, St Patricks Church, Archbishop Michael Jackson, Canon David Mungavin, St Patricks School, Rachel Harper.
Businesses and individuals who provided animal and veterinary supplies for the abandoned and injured animals who are being cared for by some wonderful animal lovers in Ukraine.
Joyce O’Connor, Annette Morel (and her art and tennis ladies), Gerard Byrne (Interchem), John Devitt Tir LAN CO-OP Ashford, Brian at Barks and Bubbles pet shop Charlesland, Tesco Greystones, Woodies Bray, Pet Bliss Newtownmountkennedy, Greystones vets, Jean Hall, Ann Stillman, Peggy O’Neill, Ann Quigley, Louise Brightling, Ruth Behan, Lynn Glass, Lucy Bannon, Lisa Caffrey, Ann Redman, Terry Murphy, Mary Darby, Susan O Dwyer and Dorothy Hussain. Maxol, for sponsoring fuel for the vehicles.
