Aid Run 6, Part 2 - delivering stoves through snow

We could not have had an aid journey with no van problems! When we set off from Kyiv at 8am, the temperature was still -3°C and the hand brake 'shoe' had frozen. So we were driving as if the hand brake was on, which created a rather unpleasant burning smell, until the brakes unfroze.

We had an interesting experience of staying in a hotel powered by a generator last night, as it was on one of the areas of Kyiv without electricity. Lights flickering, intermittent internet, limited hot water and restaurant closed. But it was the height of luxury compared with the communities we encountered yesterday - without water or  power, or both.

We picked the stoves up from the south east of Kyiv and then drove through a snowy landscape, halfway back the way we came yesterday, to transfer the stoves to an another aid van. These are volunteers who will take the stoves right to the new frontline in  Kherson.
It had snowed some more overnight,  which made for some hazardous driving conditions, although some beautiful scenery.
As we drove south, towards Odesa, the snow eventually vanished completely.

We hear of missile attacks most days and have seen numerous buildings completely or partially demolished. Before we left Mykolaiv yesterday morning, our host took us to the site of a missile that had missed it's intended target - an electricity substation - but left a crater and debris strewn over about 100 metres. Fortunately, the missile landed on a piece of wasteland. There were houses nearby.
So now we're overnighting in Vinnyytsia, which is as far as we could get towards home in the dark and snow. We'll drive back to Lviv tomorrow morning, picking up some more aid from the warehouse on the way. We're not sure if we'll be back on the road again Sunday or Monday.

The lights went out in the middle of our restaurant meal. This was not treated as anything unusual - the waitress just brought us another candle. On the positive, the power cut meant that there was no more loud Ukrainian pop music and Bob's draft beer had already been poured! When we got back to our hotel, which was in darkness, the receptionist presented us with a small battery lantern. Last night no water and tonight no electricity - this is the new normal in Ukraine.

Finally, a thought for the Polish van drivers of our mini convoy, who delivered aid close to the front line and endured shelling very nearby. Stay safe wherever you are tonight. 

The reality is that nowhere is safe in Ukraine. An apartment block was hit yesterday and completely destroyed, with many deaths. Death and destruction here are often very random, and always callous and terrifying. This is the nature of terrorism.
 

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