Jeremy Clarkson supports Banbury beekeeper's Ukraine appeal
- Published
Viktor Zaichenko is a honey farmer based near Banbury
Jeremy Clarkson has lent his support to a Ukrainian beekeeper who is raising money to help his friends back home.
Viktor Zaichenko is a honey farmer based near Banbury, Oxfordshire, and also works at the former BBC Top Gear presenter's Diddly Squat Farm.
More than £30,000 has been raised to buy armoured pick-up trucks to evacuate civilians from war-torn areas.
In a video online, Clarkson said: "He's got a lot of family and friends who are stuck there and they need our help."
The Grand Tour host, whose farm is based in Chadlington, continued: "[It] will help them buy vehicles which they need to evacuate people who are stuck behind the Russian lines.
"I can hardly believe I'm saying this in Europe today, but anyway, they are stuck.
"He needs to get them out, so pick-up trucks, anything they can get their hands on, that's what they need the money for."
Mr Zaichenko has been raising money through honey sales, and also set up a crowdfunding site for the vehicles, which he said would be a "lifesaver".
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His brother has joined Ukraine's equivalent of the UK Territorial Army.
"My parents are in a relative safe area but how can you be safe in Ukraine at the moment with rockets and war going on?" asked Mr Zaichenko.
"So of course I'm worried about them but they made their choice, they want to stay in Ukraine, they want to support my brother, and I want to support my brother in a different way."
His wife Lucy added: "It's the love and compassion that's coming from people, and it's a very dark time for Ukraine, but to see what's happening with the JustGiving, it helps to keep us strong actually."
The couple have already purchased one 4x4 with their own money but want to supply six in total.
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