Blog From Eastern Ukraine #3

It has been an intensive week since I last wrote. From one city on the front line to another, and then to a place recently liberated by the Ukrainians.

It is difficult to think about what to say about my visits to Zaporizhzhya, Kharkiv, and north of Kharkiv where we will be establishing a surgical unit, but I am loathed to say where, as the Russians have had no qualms so far in bombing hospitals.?

To put it into perspective, I saw one Paediatric and Maternity Unit this week where days earlier the Russian Army had put three tank shells into the wards. Wards for kids and expectant mothers. What kind of human does that, or more importantly, what kind of human being orders that to be done.?

The experiences, thoughts and emotions of the last few days all get mixed up in my head in a strange broth. A broth whose ingredients are horror, pride, enormous admiration, disbelief and determination.

So….. a few of my moments from the last few days. Without the locations mentioned, I am afraid, as these are areas that are rather sensitive and I don’t want to risk any of the amazing people I have met or the Ukrainian efforts, I have seen.?

The first is having to take a few moments before I realised why I was so distraught after one conversation in an Emergency Hospital. I have been in many wars and seen how awful people can be to one another, but after asking the question to a Ukrainian Surgeon ‘what skills and support do you need now’, hearing the answer ‘Paediatric Trauma, to train us in how to deal with Paediatric War Injuries’. This is something that does stay with you. The doctor in question said that they were seeing more and more, but as we were only a dozen or so miles from the front line they knew from experience they would need this skill in abundance in the days and weeks to come.?

The second is talking to the facilities manager of a hospital, close to which we will be establishing our field surgical unit. He is a huge jovial bear of a man. With a deep laugh, and a ’nothing is too much trouble attitude’. Yet when they took me on a tour of the grounds, in order to assess how we could get the equipment in, he told me that a short time earlier he (and he is in his 60’s) and his friends were standing on that road, with their old Soviet pistols, and were shooting at ‘orcs’ (their slang for Russian Soldiers). He told me that the whole town became a military unit, and everyone with a weapon defended the hospital.?

To me, that shows exactly why the Russians are losing. When everyone man and woman is a soldier, from young men to grandparents in their 60s, how can you win against that determination?

The third is being in with some amazing ambulance staff, and around the time that the Ukrainians turned where I was from a front line city to one where there was clear Ukrainian control from the city to the Russian border a few dozen km away.?

The grit and determination of these people is amazing. It was at this time I heard a joke that made me laugh and laugh. A young man came to me after a particular paramedic training, after we had said we were here in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, he said ‘I am glad you are here to see the lie Putin has told. He told everyone for years he has the second most powerful military in the world, and it turns out he only has the second most powerful military in Ukraine'………. He then walked away chuckling to himself. I am still giggling about that one.

The fourth is a moment you say ’thank f**k’ and assume that (for an absolute rational atheist) there might be some truth in the idea of Karma (and sorry Mum, I haven’t mentioned this so far, but as I am on my way out I think it is OK). We drove in the morning over a temporary bridge, built by the Russians because the main bridge had been blown, then abandoned in retreat. We were visiting a heavily conflict-affected area. All went well on the way out, but on the way back we were stopped by the Ukrainian Army just before the bridge and told we couldn’t cross for ‘a little while'. When we were asked why we were told ‘we found two anti-tank mines rigged under the bridge, and the sappers are disposing of them, it’s a miracle they hadn’t gone off’. Sometimes only an emoji will do ??….. (again, sorry Mum).

Finally, I had the amazing privilege to share the last 20 hrs of my life in a train carriage (I travelled from Dnipro to Liviv by train) with a British ex-military paramedic, who has been working with the Ukrainian Army for the last few months doing front line trauma care. He was an amazing chap, who felt he could use his skills to the best effect by joining the Ukrainian Army and ensuring as many civilians and soldiers on the front line got equal access to healthcare. We spent a memorable 20 hrs with a few cold beers, a loaf of bread, some salami, some cheese, some Salo (if you haven’t tried it you should, it's delicious despite what you might first think), salads, pickles and vodka. His story is his to tell, but it is an amazing one, and if you ever meet a guy called Martin who tells you about his time in Ukraine, buy him a beer. He has some remarkable stories and has done some very admirable things.

I am leaving Ukraine (for now) tomorrow but will write one more blog in the coming days on the remarkable privilege it has been to have witnessed the response of the Ukrainian people to the unwarranted and illegal occupation of their land.?

Slava Ukraini, Heroyian Slava.

(And to the few people who have written to me, saying that by using a Ukrainian slogan to sign off my emails I am compromising their interpretation of what impartiality should look like in a humanitarian context, I say two things…. One is a slow raspberry noise with an afterthought of ‘come and see for yourself then', and the other is that, whilst aid should always be impartial and neutral in its delivery, it is also important that one bears witness to what one sees, and has the liberty to express ones own personal opinion, which is what these blogs have been. My own personal opinion does not compromise my ability to be impartial in the delivery of humanitarian assistance. The French have a great word for this, temoignage, and its application in this context is equally valid)