'There's so much less aid' says Stranraer man on his fourth humanitarian mission to Ukraine

  • Video report by ITV News reporter Barnaby Papadopulos

A man from south-west Scotland who is on his fourth trip delivering humanitarian supplies to people in Ukraine says the amount of aid being delivered there has massively reduced, as the war enters its third calendar year.

Iain Gordon, who is from Stranraer, spoke to ITV News from Kharkiv, less than thirty miles from the Russian border. The volunteer driver has been handing out donations to community organisations and homes housing orphaned children in and around the city.

"Every fourth or fifth house has been destroyed," he said. "But these people are still living here in amongst this destruction."

On previous trips Iain has collected aid from across Scotland. But this time round, he says, everything has been donated by people, businesses, schools, and the football club in his home town.

Iain has been delivering aid to communities in the Kharkiv area. Credit: Iain Gordon

"I couldn't have done this trip without the people of Stranraer. Everything I had in that minibus was donated by the wonderful people of my community, Stranraer and the outlying area," he said.

"So from me, a great big thank you, but mostly from the people here that have been receiving this aid. Thank you so very, very much, for your help, and your kindness."

Iain's journey took him over two thousand miles from Scotland's south-western coast to the frontlines near Kharkiv, passing shattered buildings as he carried toys, clothes, and electric wheelchairs in the back of a minibus, decked out with the names of contributors and Scottish flags.

Iain's journey from Stranraer to Kharkiv took well over 2,000 miles Credit: Iain Gordon

But since his first trip to the beleaguered nation shortly after the 2022 invasion, Iain said he'd seen a large reduction in the amount of aid vehicles he'd seen on the roads. "Things have changed," he said.

"There's so much less aid arriving here. Even on the drive out from the UK, I didn't see another single humanitarian aid vehicle.

"I was the only one I could see in the road the whole way."There are fears that the public is growing weary of the conflict in the West, with Polish President Donald Tusk condemning apathy towards the situation as "completely unacceptable" in December.

Support for Ukraine is also becoming increasingly strained in the United States, where Republican Congressmen are attempting to block the Biden administration from sending military and humanitarian aid to the country worth around $60 billion.

'The UK stands with Ukraine': Sunak announces £2.5bn aid on surprise Kyiv trip

The UK has pledged £2.5 million worth of military aid to Ukraine over 2024, with the Prime Minister telling Ukrainian President Zelenskyy that support from the UK "wasn't going anywhere."

"I am here today with one message: the UK will also not falter," said Sunak on a trip to the capital Kyiv last month.

"We will stand with Ukraine in their darkest hours and in better times to come."

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