Farmers head to Ukraine to give 4x4 and deliver vital supplies

TWO North Wales sheep farmers are planning an incredible cross-Europe dash to support the Ukrainian resistance against Russia.

Friends Llyr Jones and Rhys Jones aim to drive to Poland before nipping across the border to hand over a Land Rover Discovery to help the war effort.

Llyr, from Llanfihangel GM, Conwy, bought the 2004 Discovery out of his own pocket for £2,000.

The pair will be leaving it there before flying back to the UK.

“We don’t want to mess around - just go there, drop off the vehicle and get back,” said Llyr, 42. “I need to be back before the end of the month, because that’s when lambing starts.”

Llyr hatched the scheme after seeing a plea for 4x4s by a Ukraine farmer he follows on social media.

The plan is to leave the UK on Thursday and fly back on Sunday evening.

For support, he contacted old friend Rhys Jones, who farms on the Llŷn peninsula. 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 Llyr. “We need to get 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, together they founded a charity called Cam Wrth Gam (Step By Step), which organised mercy missions to disasterstruck 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.

Llyr 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 carload 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 warstricken country. Already a van driver from Llangollen has said he’ll go; a farmer in mid-Wales is weighing up his commitments.

But they’ve hit a hitch. “We kind of forgot that the UK is no longer part of the EU,” admitted Llyr. “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 become mired in bureaucracy. So the idea now is to start off with an empty car and buy all the supplies in France.”

As the drop-off point in Ukraine is close to the Polish border, Llyr 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 supplies to transporting troops.

Llyr 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.”

● Llyr Jones bought a Land Rover Discovery (right) which he will drive to Ukraine with his Llŷn farming friend, Rhys Jones