25 October 2026 – Sunflower Scotland donates Nissan NV300 van to the 34th Marine Brigade in Kherson.
The need
We met Oleksandr of the 34th Marine brigade here, in Kherson. Oleg was drinking coffee in “Lyman”, a surprisingly nice cafe (it’s now closed). Oleksandr walked in, and explained why he needed help.
He told Oleg that his van was destroyed: a Russian drone exploded through the roof. Luckily, the boys escaped.
Oleksandr’s job is logistics: getting supplies to the positions, and evacuating the wounded. When he lost the van, he started using his personal “Lanos”: a small car. For obvious reasons, he urgently needed good transport.
The job the 34th Marines are doing is absolutely critical. Kherson is already terrorised by Russia’s drones. If Ukrainian marines let the Russians land in Kherson, civilians will be stranded. Without food, without power, without medical help. It will be a total catastrophe.
We knew we needed to help.
Back in Scotland: preparations
Oleg found it really hard to get a good van. First, we bought a Renault Trafic van in Fife. It looked fine, but it turned out to be dodgy. The seller cleared all the errors, and 30 minutes after we picked it up the check engine light went on. Having spent £500 on useless repairs, we sold it at a huge loss.
We bought another van in Loanhead. This time it was a Nissan NV300. It seemed perfect: well serviced, all working. Oleg was really happy. But….before he reached his home (a 15-minute drive), the clutch pedal fell to the floor. More repairs.
Luckily, our friends from R A Commericals (Penicuik) were quick to help. After changing the clutch, the flywheel and the slave cylinder, and renewing gearbox oil, the van was ready to go.
We loaded the van fully with zimmer frames, incontinence pads and other medical supplies for Kherson Regional hospital.
In Kherson
We arrived in Kherson on Sunday, the 25th October. The city was almost empty. We drove fast. All roads were covered with anti-drone nets, but they sometimes manage to slip through. We did not waste time.
We met with Oleksandr, and donated them the van.
He was really happy: the van went to work straight away delivering food and other supplies.
In addition, we gave the 34th Marines four big bags with British surplus uniforms and sleeping bags.
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