Pastor tells of his disturbing but uplifting trip to Ukraine

* Pastor Brian Smith (right) hands over the Honda to tank driver Matthew from the USA near the front line in Ukraine.

* The Llangollen trio is the main square of Kyiv. From left, Paata Samsonidze, Pastor Brian Smith and Mark Birkhill.

A minister has spoken movingly of his disturbing yet uplifting experience of taking a specialist vehicle supplied by well-wishers in Llangollen over 1,700 miles to frontline fighters in Ukraine.

Pastor Brian Smith, of City Church at Penyllan, joined two experienced travelling companions on the marathon road trip to the very battle zone of the war-torn country at the wheel of a four-wheel-drive vehicle that will help move exhausted troops back to vital rest areas behind the lines. 

The Honda CR-V has been paid for by a small army of well-wishers at Brian's church and Anna's Cafe in Oak Street, named after the Ukrainian lady who runs it.

Brian, along with Paata Samsonidze, who is Anna's husband and an old hand at ferrying supplies to the battlefield, and Mark Birkhill from Corwen, whose job is working with veterans, set off on their epic journey on December 6.

After driving down the country and crossing over to Calais through the tunnel, they headed out across France, Belgium, Holland and Germany, making few stops along the way to save time.

Brian recalls everything was going well until they hit the border between Poland and Ukraine a day or so later.

There they encountered a "particularly un-cooperative" female border guard whose queries over their paperwork meant a hold-up of over five hours.  

Eventually they arrived in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in the early hours of December 8 ready for a few days' well-earned rest at Paata's home in the town of Vasilkov not far outside the city.

There they were shocked to still see the scars of when the smart suburban residence was partially wrecked in the summer of 2024 by the blast from the overhead interception of an incoming Russian missile.

They also learned how Paata's brother's sausage factory had been damaged by a Russian attack.

Soon afterwards came the highpoint of their trip when they were at last able to hand over the Honda to an American volunteer fighter named Matthew - which they had to do at night as they were so close to the front line. 

Brian said: "Matthew's story was that, back home, he had actually been a marshall in the state of Virginia and decided to join the fight for Ukraine as a tank driver after becoming bored with his old job."   

The whole venture was arranged by another Llangollen man who has become a vital link in the Ukrainian aid chain.

Something of a phenomenon himself, Danny Fairbourn first began driving with aid convoys to the country soon after the Russian invasion sparked the bitter war in early 2022.

Convinced that he should do much more to help the Ukrainian cause after joining the first convoy of clothing, food and medical supplies, he gave up his job as a builder to station himself over there for 18 months organising more help of the same kind from ground level.

Over the past couple of years he has stepped up his commitment even further by digging deeply into a family inheritance to help finance his relief work.

Danny personally paid for around 20 trips to Ukraine, mainly arranging the purchase, conversion and delivery of frontline ambulances and other vital vehicles to the army.

Through the Mission Ukraine organisation, he has since assembled the crucial components for more than 30 further trips, of which securing the Honda on behalf of City Church is one of his latest projects.   

Looking back on the momentous trip Brian Smith said: “Like everyone else who watches what is happening in Ukraine, I realised that the people over there are in desperate need of all the help they can get.

“City Church was therefore been delighted to provide £5,000 to help buy the Honda. 

He added: "I really enjoyed making the trip but I was so upset at seeing so many things that have happened over there – the destroyed buildings and vehicles, the graveyards everywhere. You can't go too far before you come across the graves of many people who have been killed in this war.

“So many people have given their lives. People from all over the world and, especially, a lot from the EU, including some from Wales - I saw a poster honouring a volunteer soldier with a Welsh flag.

“I'm a bit of a softy and seeing so many graves made it an experience that I'll never forget.

“Members of my family didn’t want me to go because of the safety factor but I’m glad that I did because it was an awesome experience.

“Paata helped us through it more than anything. He looked after us so well throughout the trip.”

And after seeing the state of the country for himself what does he think about the chances of peace?

“I feel that almost the only way possible they are going to have peace is if Putin is in some way out of the picture.

“The Ukrainians are amazing people and they’ll tell you, ‘We ain’t giving up!’

“They are so peaceful in themselves, even though all this is going on they're so welcoming and if you want them to do something for you they do it right away.

“I was very pleased to be able to help in some small way by taking over the vehicle. It was an honour to do it. But you have to remember that I went over as part of a great team.”

* The next major local effort for Ukraine will be a fundraiser in St Collen's Community Hall at 6.30pm on February 6. 

* One of the main war graveyards, which is rapidly filling up.

* A spent Russian missile transformed into a memorial to Ukraine's war dead.

* A vehicle burnt out after being hit by a Russian drone on a main road into Kyiv.

* A volunteer soldier honoured with a Welsh flag.

* The trio depart from Llangollen in the early morning of December 6.