Appeal to help former homeless man's heroic missions to Ukraine

Ian Russell, 35, has completed four trips to Ukraine, delivering no fewer than 20,000 kilograms of supplies for families, pet animals and others struggling to cope since the invasion by Russian troops.

But on his last danger-fraught trip, which took him close to the frontline in the city of Sumy, his van broke down beyond repair.

Luckily, he managed to find his way home with the help of a friend. But Ian has now set up a GoFundMe page, asking for donations, and is hoping to raise £4,000 to buy a new van before his next mission in two months’ time.

"I hate asking for help, but I must stress that every penny raised goes towards aid,” said Ian. “When we stop for a coffee or energy drink on the road, we use our own money.

"The first £4,000 donated will be used solely for the van. Any additional funds will go to supplies and no funding from this project will go to war efforts. It would be great if you could donate.”

Ian also raises money for Ukraine by organising music events, which stems from his days as a tour manager for up-and-coming bands in Europe via his company, Scorpio Promotions.

However, his career was brought to a grinding halt by the Covid-19 pandemic. He managed to get one of the last flights back to his home town of Skegness before lockdown, but had just £50 in his pocket.

Shut out of the UK benefits system, he found himself homeless and was reduced to sleeping in a tent on the beach.

Although he was eventually helped by the charity, Outreach, and found supported accommodation in a hostel, he was without a proper home for more than two years.

His decision to help Ukraine was triggered when, through his interest in and contacts within the music industry, he saw a photo on Facebook of young Ukrainian singer Ira Lobanok – armed with a sniper rifle.

“Instead of doing gigs, she had made the brave decision to fight for her country,” said Ian. “I offered to help her, but she said all she needs is for me to raise money to help the refugees.”

Ian duly began fundraising for charities, but soon became alarmed at the amount of money they kept (more than 50 per cent in one case) for so-called “administration purposes”. So he decided to go it alone and organise his own trips, graduating from mere backpacks to the van.

On his first aid-journey, he got to meet Ira and has kept in touch with her ever since, messaging her regularly.

"People call me a hero, but I’m not,” Ian said. “What I went through when I was homeless is nothing compared to what the people of Ukraine are going through.

"This is my way of saying thankyou for the help I received when I was homeless. I’m so grateful to everyone who has given their support.”

One woman, Karina Bocharova, insists she owes her life to Ian after she became displaced because of the war. He helped her and her six pet kittens flee the country and fly out to family in Spain.

Meanwhile, another woman, Olga, fled the frontline with just one bag after losing everything else. Ian found out she had always wanted to be a photographer, so he bought her a camera.

Astonishingly, amid his generous work, Ian has also received abuse on social media from people with different political views, so he feels the need to issue a separate appeal to prevent his mental health suffering.

"I am struggling a bit with some of the awful stuff I have seen in Ukraine and, on the day I headed over last time, my dad died,” he explained. "Yet I am still getting abuse on Facebook for what I am trying to do.

"All I would ask is for people to slow down, take a breath and be nicer. I am just trying to help fellow human beings.

"Sadly, there is no end to the war in sight. I will keep going until it is over.”

If you would like to donate to help Ian buy a new van, visit his GoFundMe page here.