A tale of two cities...

Cruise missiles targeted Odesa at 02.40 this morning. Ukraine's air defences downed two, but the other struck a warehouse, a business centre, an educational institution, a residential complex, restaurants and shops. Three people have been killed and at least 13 injured. 
We heard the missile exploding, from our apartment, or, at least, I did, as Bob managed to sleep through the air raid siren and the blast.

We were on the road not long after 6:30am to travel about 190km to Kherson, which, due to poor roads, takes around 4 hours with a coffee break.
Our first aid drop was to a community we have visited several times, living in poorly maintained apartments, many damaged by shelling. We took adult incontinence products, children's clothes, nappies, toys, tea and some chocolate for the children. Anastasia, who acts as a community leader and distributes the aid, is meticulous in her documentation. Although we don't ask her to, as we trust her, she takes photos of every aid recipient - 33 so far, and more to come tomorrow! But her 'portraits' are very good...

Next we delivered aid to the maternity hospital near the centre of Kherson, which is a very dangerous area due to shelling, which was intermittent throughout our visit. The general hospital has been destroyed beyond repair. There were no mothers and babies at the time, because they stay in hospital only for as long as necessary, due to the risk. If required, they are moved on to hospitals in safer areas.
But, before they leave, new mothers are supplied with nappies, etc, and a little pack of clothes if these are available. We had some beautiful hand-knitted baby clothes and hats from the Welsh Penparcau community,

We also gave a Moses basket, nappies and surgical gowns. The aid was greatly appreciated, although the hospital is in desperate need of technical equivmpment, e.g.
 incubators.

Our last stop in Kherson was to the aid distribution hub we delivered to last week. This charity is currently focusing on evacuation of flood victims and targeted aid, following the Russians exploding the Nova Khakovka dam, causing devastating flooding. The aid we took included clothes for adults and children, water purification tablets and disinfectant liquid, donated by the Austrian charity, Verein fur Weltweite Nothilfe.

Bob fed some stray  dogs and puppies on our way out of town.

And on the road home we met a new contact, Tim, who is a volunteer with an NGO that supports both people and animals, in Odesa and Kherson. We met him in a small tented community of volunteers. We were made black tea and offered delicious cake, made by a local woman who supports volunteers.

We had one more stop, which was to deliver a generator and sleeping bag to a small family of siblings in Mykolaiv, who accept aid for soldiers, on behalf of their mother (and our friend), who serves in the armed forces in Bakhmut. May she stay safe.

Also on the road home, between Mykolaiv and Odesa, is this unexpected church rose garden, where we had a thermos flask of tea...

Just as we sat down to our supper, about 8:30pm, another air raid siren sounded - and so the day ends as it started. We can only hope that there won't be more deaths of innocent civilians today but, somewhere in Ukraine, that seems only too likely.

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