Gunpoint terror on mercy mission
Man driving aid to Ukraine accused of being spy
APHOTOGRAPHER has recalled his experience of being held at gunpoint in Ukraine as he delivered aid to refugees.
Harley Whitehead shares his time between the UK and Ukraine and had been delivering aid to the war-torn country along with his friend, Steven Dickinson, as part of their group ‘EastLancs4Ukraine’, based in Accrington.
It was within only an hour of arriving at Lviv two weeks after Russia invaded the country, that Harley was held at gunpoint, as the friends were accused of being Russian spies.
Soldiers also accused the pair of making bombs, after finding a Russian textbook and construction book in Harley’s possession.
Talking about the ordeal, Harley said: “It actually happened around three times in total and the first time, the whole scenario went on for around 45 minutes.
“They have a problem with Russian spies and them blending in within Ukraine, so they thought that’s what we were, especially with the books they found and the fact we didn’t have our government paperwork. My Russian textbook is from university and I forgot it was even in my bag.
“Initially, they started searching the van which was fine, and I was in the driver’s seat with Steven outside, then I was called out and as soon as I came out of the van I had a shotgun in my face. The border guard asked me if I knew about the textbook and my heart sank immediately because I knew it would look suspicious.
“Steven had an AK47 pointed at the back of his head and when I say they were aggressive with it, it was bad - we weren’t allowed to move at all.
“They just wanted to know why we’d be learning Russian in Ukraine and I tried to reason with them, but they were sending photos of my laptop history to someone, but that must have settled things because eventually they let us go.
“I also had an expired passport which was clipped on the side and they didn’t understand why the UK government give them us back when they’re expired.
“You’ve just got to keep your cool and forget that they have got guns but we’ve learnt from our experiences for this time round.”
The friends were due to return to Ukraine last weekend, bringing more donations and aid to the people within the country.
Their group, EastLancs4Ukraine which operates on social media, is recognised by the local government - something the friends have stated is “so hard to get” and therefore want to provide aid to the Ukrainian people in the best way they can.
The accreditation also means that they are able to deliver aid right into the heart of the country, something only a few groups are able to manage, but it isn’t without its dangers.
Harley, who is from Blackburn, added: “People forget that Ukraine is my home as well, so when I see the devastation, particularly with kids, it’s really difficult. I’m really integrated into the culture and their way of life and I think when you see it all, it really spurs you on to do more good.
“One little girl, around eight years old, mustn’t have known she didn’t have her legs anymore and was trying to walk, which was so heartbreaking. Another house which only had one bedroom had 12 people living inside it and it’s horrible to see - some days can be extremely draining.
“A lot of aid is going to the West of Ukraine, but not a lot of donations and help are brought to the East and South so that’s what we try and do. I have contacts there with my photography work so we are able to get into the Russian-occupied areas.
“It’s heartbreaking to see people not knowing what’s going on or how to travel safely. I spent a lot of nights planning safe routes because you need to keep tabs on where the Russians are in the area so you don’t get seen.
“Ukraine is a huge country though, and last time we were travelling to and from the border, but going from city to city is like driving from Manchester to London - it is very long days and you have to factor in the curfew as well, you can’t drive at night.
“Even with our accreditation, it still takes around six hours of standstill at the border, and finding hotels in Poland while you wait is hard as well. We couldn’t get anywhere last time and when we did, we were kicked out around four times to make room for women and kids who needed somewhere to stay.
“This time, we’ll know what to expect a bit more and we’ll be working with people over there who are on the same page and just want to help.”