Ben's Mission to Ukraine

26/01/2025

CHARITY AUCTION:

My first attempt at a charity auction is now live on eBay!

In exchange for helping support the acquisition and delivery of an evacuation vehicle to Ukraine, you could be in with a chance of winning a unique souvenir in thanks for supporting an endlessly important cause!

Don't hesitate to click the link below and try your luck!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126903361896?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=mxnV6HSdSiO&sssrc=2051273&ssuid=mxnV6HSdSiO&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Charity Auction: Ukrainian 406th Separate Artillery Brigade Insignia (2000s) at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

19/01/2025

On the 26th of January, a charity auction for Ukrainian Insignia will go live on eBay to raise funds for a 4x4 to deliver to Ukraine: for more on that see previous posts!

The 406th Artillery Brigade

The first patch going for auction is a previous iteration of the insignia of the 406th Artillery Brigade. Their motto as written on the patch is "We are the gods of war!"

The 406th Artillery Brigade, was originally part of the Ukrainian Navy before becoming part of the Marine Corps after its formation under the Soviet Union in 1976.

On February 28th, 2014, the brigade was encircled by Russian troops. Half of the officers defected to Russia, with 73 soldiers returning to Zaporizhzhia April. Those who remained loyal to Ukraine left occupied Crimea and were based in Zaporizhzhia and then Mykolaiv.

On Independence Day in 2016, the brigade received a battle flag 🇺🇦, a recognition for courage and bravery in defending Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. Two years later, the unit was awarded the honorary name of General Oleksiy Almazov, a figure from the days of the Ukrainian National Republic (UNR).

During the ongoing Russian Invasion of Ukraine, the brigade participated in the 2022 Kharkiv Counteroffensive for which it was commended by President Zelensky.

Image 2: Soldiers of the brigade operating an 2A36 Giatsint-B Howitzer 💥.

Image 3: Soldiers preparing artillery shells - the man on the right sports the insignia of the 406th's Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion.

Image 4: The brigade operates a M777 Howitzer 💥.

Image 5: The current insignia of the brigade.

📸: Militaryland.net

08/01/2025

Who We Help

The end-users of Driving Ukraine donated vehicles and aid include:
- Foreign Volunteer Medics and Paramedics working on Ukraine's Frontline
- Ukrainian Volunteer Medics and Paramedics
- Humanitarian Bomb Disposal Teams
- Combat Medics
- Ukrainian Hospitals
- The Armed Forces of Ukraine and their Medical Services

Here are some images of vehicles that have been delivered by Driving Ukraine and their teams at work.

You could help do more.

If you'd like to help, consider making a donation for as little as £5 through the link below:
https://donorbox.org/benwillukraine

28/12/2024

What am I fundraising for?
I thought I'd create a post to provide a bit more info:

I'm fundraising for Driving Ukraine, a charity that thus far has delivered 156 vehicles to Ukraine that have been purchased in the UK and modified by volunteers, placed with essential teams in Ukraine including: ambulance crews, 4x4 evacuation teams, first-aid responders, international volunteer medics, humanitarian bomb disposal units, hospitals, among others.
To achieve this feat, Driving Ukraine volunteers have fundraised every step of the way.

What is the situation in Ukraine?

The war in Ukraine is entering its third winter. The urgent need for international support in Ukraine is undeniable. The longer this invasion persists, the more challenging it becomes for Ukraine.
The toll of this conflict is staggering, with tens of thousands of civilians killed, countless more injured, and hundreds of billions of dollars in infrastructure damage.
4,000,000 Ukrainians have lost their homes, 10,000 missiles have been launched at the country, and over 1,000 hospitals have been destroyed.
In late November 2024, based on all previous estimates of Ukrainian military casualties, The Economist estimated Ukrainian losses at between 60,000 and 100,000 killed and 400,000 wounded.

This scale of destruction is unimaginable to us.

What am I doing?

I'm attempting to raise the £5,000 required to buy, deliver, and modify a 4x4 vehicle to Lviv, Ukraine in the hope that it could save lives.

Why is fundraising so important?

Because nothing happens without the money to:
1) Buy the vehicles that have been requested
2) Make those vehicles ready for your journey across Europe
3) Make those vehicles ready for their new lives in Ukraine
4) Camouflage and modify them in Ukraine, ready for the frontline
5) Provide ongoing support to units that receive vehicles.
6) Purchase requested aid as it comes in from those we help.

If you've read this far, thank you, and I hope this might convince you to make a donation as little as £5 through the link below:
https://donorbox.org/benwillukraine

Help Ben buy, drive, and deliver an evacuation vehicle to Ukraine 🇺🇦In February, Ben Barltrop will travel 1,318 miles over 3 days across Europe with the Driving Ukraine team to deliver an evacuation vehicle destined for work on the Ukrainian front...

27/12/2024

Welcome to my all-new fundraising page, where you can follow my progress as I attempt to fundraise for

For those new to my endeavour, my name is Ben Barltrop, a 19-year-old student at from Wiltshire fundraising £5,000 to buy and deliver an evacuation vehicle to Ukraine 🇺🇦 to be used on the frontlines by essential teams in Ukraine including: ambulance crews, 4x4 evacuation teams, first-aid responders, international volunteer medics, humanitarian bomb disposal units, hospitals, among others.

We request your support in raising £5,000 and beyond to purchase and transport a 4x4 vehicle.
Funds raised beyond this will buy a drone jamming device to prevent the vehicle being destroyed by FPV drones.