A Welwyn Hatfield Borough councillor is heading to Ukraine this week to help provide humanitarian aid as war with Russia continues to rage.

Paul Zukowskyj, Liberal Democrat councillor for Welham Green and Hatfield South, will travel to Kiev alongside Vans Without Borders, a small team of volunteers taking medical and care aid to Ukraine.

Cllr Zukowskyj is helping get the team on the ground before returning to the UK, while others in the team spend a number of weeks there distributing aid to those who desperately need it in parts of eastern Ukraine.

Having already raised £20,000 for the British Red Cross through a fundraising drive amongst his Herts County Council colleagues, Cllr Zukowskyj – whose father is from western Ukraine – is keen to continue helping the country.

“I want to help,” he said.

“I hope that by heading to Ukraine with the Vans Without Borders team I can do something, even if only small, to help those suffering because of this unprovoked aggression by Vladimir Putin.

“Readers can also help, Vans Without Borders has a Crowdfunder to help them buy the care and medical aid the Ukraine people so desperately need. It would be great if readers could help to fund their work. Every penny will go to making a difference.”

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Vans Without Borders on one of their earlier missions to Ukraine.Vans Without Borders on one of their earlier missions to Ukraine. (Image: Vans Without Borders)

As part of their second mission to Ukraine, Vans Without Borders are hoping to raise £10,000 to buy aid, which will be delivered to communities that international aid efforts have found hard to reach.

“During our last mission, we pioneered routes across Ukraine and were some of the first humanitarian volunteers to deliver international aid in Bucha, Irpin and Chernihiv, after they were devastated,” wrote Jack Ross on their Crowdfunder page.

“We will continue to bring aid to unreached or forgotten communities that are hard to access - such as Chernihiv and Kharkiv - and have been largely abandoned by international aid efforts.

Our team has now grown to four vans and we will be looking to bring tonnes of aid across Ukraine, but need your help to achieve this.

To donate to Vans Without Borders, visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/vans-without-borders---return-to-ukraine