Two sheep farmers from North Wales are preparing themselves for an incredible dash across Europe this month, with the aim of supporting the Ukrainian resistance in its war against Russia.
Friends Llŷr Jones and Rhys Jones are planning to drive all the way to Poland, before heading across the border to deliver a 2004 Land Rover Discovery to help the war effort, North Wales Live reports.
Llŷr, who is from Llanfihangel GM, Conwy, bought the 2004 Discovery out of his own pocket for £2,000, which the pair will leaving in Ukraine before flying back to the UK.
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Llŷr hatched the scheme after seeing a plea for 4x4s by a Ukrainian farmer he follows on social media. The plan is to leave the UK on Thursday March 10, and fly back on Sunday evening. For support, he contacted old friend Rhys Jones, who farms on the Llŷn Peninsula.
"We don’t want to mess around – just go there, drop off the vehicle and get back," said Llŷr, 42.
"I need to be back before the end of the month because that’s when lambing starts."
The pair, both family men, are aware of the dangers but believe the risks are manageable.
"If I thought about it too much, I probably wouldn’t go," said Llŷr.
He added: "We need to get the vehicle there as fast as possible, before the Russians started moving into the west of the country, which is where we’ll be leaving it. The last thing we want is for the Russians to get their hands on it."
As young men, both founded a charity called Cam Wrth Gam (Step by Step) which organised annual mercy missions to disaster-struck regions of the world.
For years the charity took volunteers to Africa to build schools, orphanages, kitchens, boreholes, and toilets. All its money was donated by rural communities in North Wales.
Llŷr said: "After 2012, life got in the way - we got married, had kids, and the charity work was put on hold.
"As there was still a little bit of money left in the account, we’ve been looking at ways to put it to good use. When Rhys agreed to go to Ukraine, that gave the project the green light. I really trust him. We were in Mauritania at the time of the 2008 coup, so we know how to get out of difficult situations."
The plan, conceived just a few days ago, was to carry a car load of military-grade medical supplies, paid for by the charity. The car and flights will be underwritten by the two men themselves.
However they have appealed for donations – and have been overwhelmed by pledges and offers of help. The pair also invited others to join them to form a relief convoy into the war-stricken country.
Already a van driver from Llangollen has said he will go, and a farmer in Mid Wales is weighing up his commitments. But the enterprising Welshmen have hit a hitch.
"We kind of forgot that the UK is no longer part of the EU," admitted Llŷr.
"It means that getting across the border to France with medical supplies could be difficult – everything would have to be boxed up, numbered and coded.
"What we don’t want is to get stuck in Dover or Folkstone and for the whole scheme to become mired in bureaucracy. So the idea now is to start off with an empty car and buy all the supplies in France.
"All this is being organised at very short notice, so it is a very fluid situation."
As the drop-off point in Ukraine is close to the Polish border, Llŷr and Rhys will only be walking a short distance once they have left the car.
They have no clear idea what the vehicle will be used for. But they assume it could be anything from ferrying around supplies to transporting troops.
Llŷr said it will be the work of the pair’s support team – Elen Lloyd and Lowri Williams – and blessing of his wife Emma, that will make the mission successful.
"We couldn’t do it with them," he said.
"Or without the support of the rural and wider community, whose offers of help with travel costs has been overwhelming.”
Only last month, Llŷr was honoured at the NFU’s annual conference in Birmingham for his “dedication and commitment” to the UK farming industry.
He collected the 2022 Meurig Raymond Award – named after the NFU’s former President – after working as a climate change ambassador for British agriculture.
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