Yukon group travelling to Ukraine to deliver medical supplies

A dedicated group of Yukoners with family ties in Ukraine is preparing their fourth trip to deliver medical supplies to the country.

A group of volunteers with the Ukrainian Canadian Association of Yukon (UCAY) will be heading to the western Ukrainian city of Chortkiv to make the deliveries in November.

Lesia Hnatiw is a board member at UCAY, and will be part of the trip. She said the city of Chortkiv and its residents have been through a lot since the war with Russia began, despite the fact they are far from the frontline.

"Like everywhere in Ukraine, people are living in a situation where there's uncertainty every morning when they wake up. Everywhere in Ukraine is a target for missile strikes," she said. 

"It's a very desperate situation to be honest."

Hnatiw was motivated to deliver the supplies because of her experience on a previous mission to Chortkiv with UCAY.

"People there were so very, very grateful that we were willing to come there physically, it was very emotional," she said. "I came back more determined to do more, to be more vocal… to continue our support."

UCAY board member Grant Zazula will also be making the trip. For the Yukoner, whose grandparents left Ukraine for Canada many years ago, it will be his first time in the country.

"I feel in many ways that going to Ukraine ... it's a duty to our ancestors," he said.

A long trip

The trip will start with a flight to Calgary on Nov. 7, where the team will spend one day organizing about 315 kilograms of donated medicines destined for the front lines in Ukraine.

"We have to pack everything in suitcases and in hockey bags, we have to take inventory of every piece of luggage so we have everything in order when we are crossing borders," explained Hnatiw.

They will then fly to Frankfurt, Germany, where they will board another plane to Krakow, Poland.

Once they arrive in Poland, their plan is to buy a couple vehicles there, which will be driven to Chortkiv. Once they arrive, their plan is to donate the vehicles to Ukrainian troops.

"Right now on the front line, a big issue is providing vehicles so they can evacuate injured soldiers, injured civilians," Zazula said.

They will stay in Chortkiv for a couple of weeks to do volunteer work such as preparing meals and packing supplies to be sent to the front line.

"We're just going to do whatever we can to help our people," Zazula said.