26 June 2026 – Sunflower Scotland donated the second armoured van to Strong Because Free – a Kherson charity – for evacuation of vulnerable people from red zones around the city. This time we installed RF anti-drone jammers, to protect the van from Russian FPV drones.
Life in Kherson described as “human safari”: Russian drone pilots are hunting and killing anyone, including old people, women and children. Our first armoured van was destroyed by a high-explosive anti-tank drone in April.
Our friends in Kherson (Strong Because Free) were taking an enormous risk when evacuating people. We wanted to get another armoured vehicle. But the cost was too high. A regular van costs upwards of £2000 (usually £3000+ if you factor in all repairs). But an armoured vehicle costs over £12,000, sometimes £15,000 and more.
Our Heartfelt Thanks to a Scottish Business That Chose to Help
Thanks to an absolutely amazing Edinburgh business, we were able to do it. We are eternally grateful to the company (they asked us not to name them) for their kindness. For understanding the horrific conditions that people face in Kherson. For stepping up and helping.
This Scottish business is already saving lives, and it will hopefully save tens of lives as the van gets used. We don’t know how long it will last. It may be destroyed by a drone tomorrow. We hope and pray that it will continue saving lives, until Russia finally collapses.
Please see a video report:
Sourcing the armoured van
It’s very hard to find used armoured vehicles. The supply is very very limited. Sometimes there is absolutely nothing on sale. We had to go to Germany, where we found an excellent supplier. They specialise in used armoured vehicles.
We purchased it, and drove it to Ukraine.
Installing RF Anti-Drone Jammers
Our experience with the first one taught us RF jammers are absolutely necessary. They protect the vehicle from some (not all) Russian FPV drones with radio guidance.
In frontline Ukraine, you will very often see cars with RF jammers on the roof. In Kherson, you will see them not only on military vehicles, but also on ambulances, buses, and council vehicles. This has become a much-needed
The hard reality is, Russia is using about 50% drones with fibre-optic guidance systems. Such drones don’t use radio controls, and radio jammers don’t work against them. But 50% protection is better than no protection.
Before going to Kherson, we headed to Kharkiv. There, we contacted a very experienced Ukrainian manufacturer. We asked for help, for Kherson. The Managing Director said they would help, without any payment.
He explained that they have been following Sunflower Scotland for a long time. He knew that we don’t sell cars to soldiers, and that we are helping everyone absolutely for free. Moreover, it turned out that they personally knew some people who we helped in the past.
Hard road to Kherson
After installing the RF jammers in Kharkiv, we drove to Kherson. While we were approaching, about 10 miles from Kherson, our friends called us and told us to urgently stop. They said Russia send three MIG fighter-bombers with gliding bombs.
We quickly turned off to a destroyed petrol station in Posad-Pokrovske. After checking that the bombs hit, we carried on. One of the bombs fell on the right side of the road (you can see smoke on the video). Another one damaged a post office further in the city.
When we arrived, Russia sent another wave of bombs. We rushed into a street shelter and waited there, with two residents.
Finally we donated the van to Strong Because Free.
Evacuations in Kherson
Almost immediately they put it to use. While we were returning to Scotland, the guys sent us first video of an evacuation. We included it into our video report.
We muted the sound, but in their video the guys are complaining that it’s hard to get the woman admitted to the hospital. All hospitals in the city are overwhelmed. There aren’t enough nurses. And the team had to wait with the woman in critical condition on the floor in the corridor.
0 Comments for “Second Armoured Van to Kerson – for Evacuation from Red Zones”