Retired London ambulances donated to Ukraine

In 2022, 26 London Ambulance volunteers drove 1,100 miles (1,770 km) to deliver the ambulances

Fifty-nine decommissioned ambulances have been donated to Ukraine by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) since the start of the war in 2022, the service has said.

The ambulances, which are helping to provide care for those in warzones or civilians injured, have been handed over to the charity British-Ukrainian Aid.

The latest donation of nine ambulances has now been delivered to the frontline.

Chris Rutherford from LAS said: "We are very proud we can do this and our thoughts remain with our counterparts working on ambulances caring for those injured in the conflict."

'Saving lives'

He added: "The ambulances have reached the end of their service in the capital but they can still help to save lives in Ukraine."

The LAS said the ambulances were no longer being used by LAS frontline crews as the Service had invested in a fleet of greener vehicles.

The total of 59 include 10 retired ambulances that were donated at the start of the war, when a team of volunteers drove the vehicles filled with medical supplies to Poland so they could be taken over the border to Ukraine to bolster humanitarian efforts.

In 2022, 26 LAS volunteers drove 1,100 miles (1,770 km) over three days to deliver the ambulances.

They had been filled with donated medical equipment from NHS organisations across London and had included ventilators, syringe pumps, tourniquets, wound dressings, blizzard blankets and personal protective equipment.

Since then, Ukrainian drivers have collected the ambulances, which have been loaded onto lorries, and delivered to where they are needed most.

Nadia Pylypchuk from British-Ukrainian Aid said: "In Ukraine any equipment or any help really matters – whether it is big or small.

"We cannot thank the London Ambulance Service enough for their kind donations which are saving lives."