This footage shows a man from Hertfordshire, England man whose father was Ukrainian handing over a truck full of humanitarian aid to Ukrainian troops.
The video shows British man Paul Zakovsky, a county councilor from Hertfordshire, in southern England, in the U.K., introducing himself and explaining that his father was from Ukraine.
He added: “When the war happened, I decided that I needed to help.” He can then be seen opening up the truck to reveal supplies collected by volunteers in Britain for Ukrainian soldiers.
Zakovsky can then be heard saying how he sees a lot of his father in the Ukrainian people. He said that his dad was: “pig-headed, like a bull, he just wouldn’t give up. When he decided something, he was going to do it. And I see that in a lot of Ukrainians.
“I don’t understand what Russia wants to gain, or thinks it can gain from this. It’s just an incredibly stupid thing to have done. And I look forward to the day that Ukraine wins.”
He added: “They need to endure, they need to fight, they need to win.”
The images were obtained from the National Guard of Ukraine on Wednesday, August 31, along with a statement saying: “Volunteers from Great Britain handed over humanitarian aid to the Guardsmen. British volunteers collected almost a full truckload of necessary items for the military of one of the divisions of the Northern Alliance.
“Mattresses, sleeping bags and many other necessary things will now come in handy when the Guardsmen perform official combat tasks in the hottest spots. We are very grateful to our friends, volunteers from Great Britain, for their help, as well as to Paul Zakovsky for his faith in the Ukrainian people.
“We thank all international partners for understanding and supporting the soldiers who defend our Motherland from the enemy. Together we will definitely win!”
The images and statement were also relayed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Thursday marks the 190th day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and August 31, Russia had lost about 48,350 personnel, 1,997 tanks, 4,345 armored combat vehicles, 1,115 artillery units, 287 multiple launch rocket systems, 153 air defense systems, 234 warplanes, 205 helicopters, 851 drones, 196 cruise missiles, 15 warships, 3,239 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 104 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower, but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
An adviser to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, Oleksiy Arestovych, has said that the country’s counteroffensive to retake Kherson has neither failed nor stalled. Arestovych said: “The fact that we have not taken Kherson yet does not mean that the operation in the south has stalled or failed.”
Arestovych added: “It is carried out in a planned manner. We destroy enemy logistics, air defense systems, fuel and ammunition depots.” He cautioned Ukrainians to be patient, saying: “There will be no quick wins.” Arestovych also said that the Ukrainian armed forces had hit key bridges to isolate Russian forces on the right bank of the Dnieper River.
The Kakhovsky and Daryiv bridges, which had been used by Russia to transport equipment and ammunition to the region, have now been “disabled”, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
An unnamed U.S. official reportedly said on Wednesday, August 31, that the Russian military is suffering from a severe shortage in manpower in Ukraine and is seeking to recruit personnel from private security companies. Russia is also reportedly conscripting incarcerated convicts to make up the numbers, offering pardons and financial compensation in exchange, still according to the unnamed U.S. official.
Russia has ceased sending gas to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, claiming that repairs are needed. The German government has rejected the claim, labeling it a “pretense”. Gazprom, the Russian state energy firm, said that the halt would last three days from Wednesday.
The European Union has agreed to suspend a visa travel deal with Russia in a bid to limit how many Russian nationals can enter the region for shopping and holidays, but it stopped short of banning tourists outright.
President Zelensky, speaking about the measure, said: “I think it is humiliating for Europe when it is considered as just one big boutique or restaurant.”
He added: “When the citizens of the state that wants to destroy European values use Europe for their entertainment or shopping, for the vacation of their mistresses while they themselves work for the war or to simply silently wait out the immoral fall of Russia.”
