Ukraine: The Good, Bad and the Ugly

By Peter Savage

Join the journey of a battle-hardened military veteran turned chaplain as he embarks on a mission to war-ravaged Ukraine.

His task? To pioneer innovative approaches for providing aid and forging fresh connections amidst the chaos of conflict. Experience the triumphs of his mission alongside the harrowing ordeals he faces on the front lines. Unearth the real struggles confronted by humanitarian workers and non-governmental organisations as they tirelessly strive to deliver essential assistance to the most at-risk populations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Dec 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9798369494387

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Copyright © 2023 by Peter Savage.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 12/01/2023

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Arrival in Poland

The Border

Rava-Rus’ka

Lviv

My First Air Raid

Kyiv

The UK Aid Team

Cruise Missiles

The Zoo visit

Ukraine Loyalist

Back to Kyiv

The Bucha Massacre

Kherson

Return to Lviv

The Lviv, Catholic College

Direct Medical Aid

Felix, the Film Maker

Back home in Australia

The Betrayal

Back to Ukraine 2023

The Police in Lviv

Evacuation

Epilogue

We have changed the names, some organisations, and the specific sequences of events to protect the people involved in this publication. In this story, a battle-hardened Anglo-Australian military veteran turned chaplain has been dispatched to Ukraine with a mission to forge new relationships and discover productive aid routes into war-torn Ukraine

Acknowledgements

In the course of crafting this story, I have been privileged to delve into the remarkable tapestry of Ukraine’s history, culture, and resilience. It is a story marked by moments of triumph, as well as heart-wrenching challenges. None of this would have been possible without the unwavering dedication and support of several individuals and organisations, to whom I owe a profound debt of gratitude.

First and foremost, I extend my deepest appreciation to the brave and resilient people of Ukraine. Your unwavering spirit and determination in the face of adversity have been a constant source of inspiration throughout my journey. Your courage in the most trying of times is a testament to the indomitable human spirit.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the legitimate aid agencies and overseas volunteers operating in Ukraine. Your tireless efforts to provide humanitarian assistance and relief to those in need have not only saved lives but have also restored hope in the darkest of hours. Your commitment to alleviating suffering and fostering a better future for the people of Ukraine is commendable. Uk Aid, DIY Ukraine, Ukraine Loyalist Kyiv, Unbroken Lviv, numerous hospitals and children’s charities in Kyiv and Lviv and UK Med.

To my friends and family, who provided unwavering support and encouragement throughout the visits and writing process, I am profoundly grateful. Your belief in me and this project has been my driving force.

Last but not least, I want to express my gratitude to the readers who embark on this journey with me. It is my hope that this article sheds light on the remarkable story of Ukraine and its people, and that it serves as a testament to the enduring strength of the human spirit.

Together, we stand in solidarity with Ukraine, and I dedicate this story to the resilient souls who continue to persevere in the face of adversity. With heartfelt appreciation,

Introduction

Many people ask me why I went to Ukraine during the war. It is a difficult question to answer in many ways, yet it seems very simple to me. As a young man, I had been conditioned in the British Army from day one to see the Russians or, more importantly, Putin’s regime as the enemy. For years serving with the Army reserves in REME and Signal core, we were trained diligently in the art of warfare and our trade-craft while unknowingly being exposed to more and more evidence and conditioning of how the enemy operated and repressed their people. At the time, I worked behind the Berlin Wall on six-week detachments, listening to the Russians as part of a listening station helping the East Berlin People’s Resistance Party get families out of East Berlin to the West. It was an exciting time and gave me a deep insight into how the world worked and what it meant to live in a free, democratic society. I understand that there were limitations and problems with democracy like anyone else. Still, I would much rather live in a free world than in a subjugated communist empire willing to discard, kill, and imprison its people so readily when they disagree with their government, even though I realise that people also disappear occasionally in the West.

When the war in Ukraine started, I already had an insight into what the people would face and the indignities they would face under the Russians. I also shared the euphoria experienced by the families of Berlin when the Berlin Wall was demolished by the people in 1989. I felt compelled to try and support Ukraine in any way I could and resist the invasion of their Country.

For the first time, I’ve finally comprehended the reasons behind my grandfather’s reluctance to discuss the World Wars. During the First World War, he was drafted into a logistics company due to limited sight in one eye, preventing infantry enlistment. Throughout the war, he diligently served in the trenches of France, orchestrating the movement of equipment across Europe to the front lines. He received his discharge on Armistice Day in 1918. But his dedication didn’t stop there; he volunteered to lead an Anti-Aircraft Battery on Hackney Marshes in London. This was part of the 435th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Air Defence Unit of Britain’s Royal Artillery. He spent another remarkable five years defending London during the Second World War and the Blitz, showcasing an astonishing display of endurance and commitment to both his family and England.

Though I had also served previously, I had never encountered the realm of total mechanised warfare. Now, I can fathom the horrors he witnessed and the emotional toll it exacted on him and all those involved. Open discussions about war remain scarce, primarily due to the distressing nature of the topic. The act of revisiting the process invokes the resurgence of terror and memories of the torment endured. Those who haven’t personally faced it can never truly grasp our sentiments regarding the harsh reality of war—those intertwined sensations of fear and excitement, coupled with the overwhelming helplessness and sickness upon encountering death and the chaos of total warfare.

In September 2022, I finally contacted the Australian Ukraine consulate in Canberra to find out what I could do as a civilian or registered Chaplain. At my age, being over 50, there seemed to be little I could contribute. When I did finally get through and to speak to someone days later, Volodymyr, one of the senior consulate officials at the Australian Ukraine Embassy, talked to me, emphasising that he could not recommend a visit to Ukraine due to legal limitations in Australian policy, Ukraine was a dangerous place to visit, his hands were tied, but he appreciated that Ukraine was gaining a lot more support from the people of Australia. The only thing he could do was to put me in touch with another man who had previously been to Ukraine and could give me more information.

Shortly after that, a guy from the East Coast called Dave contacted me, and the journey began. Like me, Dave was an ex-serviceman passionately involved with Ukraine and had been there for three months in the summer of 2022, working in the community and teaching first aid to troops just back from the front lines. He was well qualified, having served with the Australian Defense, 2/14th Light Horse Regiment, and was now totally focused on providing more support for the people of Ukraine and just wanted to reduce their suffering.

I continued to talk to him over the next week as he managed my application, vetting my qualifications and aspects of my service record before he gave me the go-ahead to visit, and I decided to book flights to Warsaw and possibly on to Krakow before moving to the border to meet a representative of the Ukraine Aid community. It was challenging to get a genuine answer from anyone about how you could help in Ukraine, even the conditions of service within the Country or any other aid options. The plan was fluid, to say the least, and changed daily until I left for Poland in mid-October as I became more aware of other contacts on the ground through the Embassy network. It became clear that a new team was developing that could connect me with local resources and people on the ground.

To ensure a productive trip, I needed a flexible schedule that could be changed daily. There was so much to take in and plan for it wasn’t easy to make any definitive decisions. There was one thing I knew for sure: we would have to wait to get answers in Australia, and I needed to visit Ukraine before I knew whether we could be of any use. After creating an initial plan, I decided to fly into Warsaw before travelling to Lviv and then on to Kyiv