Convoy of 34 vehicles to be sent from Estonia to Ukraine

On the initiative of the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Estonia, the largest convoy yet, comprising of 34 vehicles, is ready to set off from Estonia to Ukraine. Two additional truckloads of medical supplies will also be sent for Ukrainian hospitals.
According to Bogdan Ljutjuk, head of the Ukrainian Cultural Center, the convoy will soon be heading to Ukraine.
"It's the largest in terms of the number of vehicles. Most of them are 4x4 SUVs and there are also 4x4 buses, which are extremely necessary particularly due to there being a drone war. Often, all this drone equipment can't fit into a regular SUV, and because drones have got so big, these buses can do a lot of that work," Ljutjuk said.
Among the vehicles being dispatches are also some "crew cars," with seven seats and more space at the back, making them extremely useful for drone units.
"We also have a vehicle with a crane, in case we need to lift a heavy load. It's not a big crane, but it's still very mobile," Ljutjuk added.
"We have two ambulances as well. One of them is a 4x4, which takes medics to the front. For them, it is very important to have a 4x4 and a low body. The other is a Volkswagen Transporter, which is a bigger vehicle. However, the bigger the vehicle is, the easier it is to get hit," he explained
The fully-equipped ambulances come from Rakvere hospital.
The convoy also needs 40 drivers for the 34 vehicles. "We have 34 cars and two escorting buses, so it's a big team," said Ljutjuk.

Ukrainians in Estonia have also been helping with the convoy.
"Among them are soldiers who have been wounded and have either completed or are completing their rehabilitation. A large number are from Ivano-Frankivsk, and that's where we're sending the trucks. There they have been repaired, prepared and then they'll go to the front. In Estonia, repairs are quite expensive but now it's a win-win situation actually, because we buy as many vehicles as possible and then they repair, maintain and prepare the them from the front with their own resources or volunteer labor," said the head of the Ukrainian Cultural Center.
The Ukrainian Cultural Center has been sending aid to Ukraine for more than a decade, providing a wide range of aid packages to the war-torn country. A total of 149 vehicles (including those that will soon be on their way) have been sent to Ukraine.
"We have raised around €4 million for Ukraine since 2022 and been involved in a wide variety of aid projects, providing defense supplies, medical supplies, food, vehicles and more," said Ljutjuk.
Along with the convoy of trucks, two truckloads of hospital beds, mattresses and cots donated by the University of Tartu Hospital and the West Tallinn Central Hospital will also be sent. All the hospital equipment, including two ultrasound machines, will be given to Ukrainian hospitals, which are in desperate need of new supplies.
"Hospitals are also getting some bedside cabinets that are actually multifunctional and movable, and that's a really big help if you're sick and can't move. In Ukraine there are still wooden beds in some places that cannot be moved or adjusted. We will send adjustable and electrically movable ones," Ljutjuk explained.
On this occasion, more than 100 beds are going to Ukraine. Last year a total of 250 were sent from Estonia
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Editor: Johanna Alvin, Michael Cole