Tipton firm sends ambulances to Ukraine after one was blown up outside children's hospital
A Tipton company has sent two ambulances to the Ukraine a month after another British ambulance was blown up by Russian forces.
Specialist Vehicle Solutions packed one of its ambulances full of medical supplies and donated it to wartime charity Hospitallers Medical Battallion which delivered it to the frontline in Ukraine in March.
However, staff at the Fisher Street SVS alterations unit were gutted when told a British ambulance had been destroyed, thankfully without anyone inside. They still do not know whether it was the ambulance they sent over there which was blown up.
The Ukrainian Governor of Mykolaiv Vitaliy Kim released security footage showing an ambulance with instantly recognisable UK livery being blown up outside a children's hospital.
The southern port city of Mykolaiv has been levelled by surrounding Russian forces in recent weeks with stranded civilians repeatedly attacked as they attempt safe passage from the war zone.
Wednesbury Councillor Luke Giles, who works for SVS, said: "Seeing the ambulance which we packed with supplies last month getting blown up outside a children's hospital upset everyone.
"It brings it home what the Ukrainians are going through that an army would attack a children's hospital is just awful. So we decided to do what we could to send some more donations.
He added: "Seeing a UK ambulance which is so familiar to all of us in a war zone just a few hours away by plane is really shocking.
"But this has just made us more determined to raise more money so we can send another as soon as we can, and it felt great to send two vehicles over there."
So the company pulled out all the stops to get another two ambulances across to the war torn country as soon as they could, they were driven into Ukraine by Ambulance Aid in a convoy.
A spokesman for Ambulance Aid, which send ambulances where they are needed all over the world, revealed the devastation they saw in Ukraine whilst delivering the vehicles.
He said: "Three ambulances delivered to the heart of Kiev, one to Lviv and one vehicle full of aid to an orphanage/refugee station four hours south east of Lviv.
"Mission accomplished well done to all the crews and of course everyone who donated. Utter carnage and devastation greeted us on the outskirts of Kiev whole village blocks raised to the ground, tree lines shredded from shrapnel tanks turned inside out and up side down."
Specialist Vehicle Solutions convert vehicles into ambulance and other bespoke automobiles for rental and sale in the UK and abroad. To donate medical supplies to SVS and the Hospitallers phone 0121 439 7014 or email info@svsuk.net.
