Trucks from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service have travelled to Ukraine.

They were part of the largest convoy ever from UK Fire and Rescue Services, delivering essential firefighting equipment last week.

On April 22, six fire appliances departed from South Wales in the early hours to join a convoy, carrying donations of more than 2,800 items.

The convoy represented an unprecedented effort, including 33 Fire and Rescue vehicles, comprising two mechanics vehicles, an aerial ladder platform, 20 fire appliances, eight incident command units, an HGV, and a 4x4 vehicle.

This mission was sponsored by the Home Office, with the support of various Fire Aid organizations, the National Fire Chiefs Council, as well as Welsh and English Fire and Rescue Services.

From South Wales, 18 members volunteered, becoming part of more than 100 volunteers making a 1,000-mile journey, starting from Kent on April 23.

They were delivering much-needed help to a devastated country, given that Ukraine's firefighting capabilities have been severely compromised due to the ongoing war.

The figures from April 10 paint a grim picture, with 396 firehouses destroyed, 1,676 vehicles lost, and increasing demands on their services due to the war's devastation.

Among the donations, there were ladders, boats, equipment for road collisions, firefighting gear, and personal protective equipment.

These were de-commissioned items, past their policy shelf-life but still perfectly usable and checked before shipment.

Instead of being scrapped, these are re-routed to places of urgent need via FIRE AID.

Dean Loader, director for service delivery at South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: "It’s quite startling to see the impact of the devastation since the war in Ukraine started, and we feel a sense of responsibility to our international Fire and Rescue Service colleagues to assist where we can.

"We’ve always had a charitable approach in South Wales, and the vehicles and equipment which we donated would’ve been sold or scrapped as part end-of-life disposal, so we feel they’re going to much better use, aiding those who really need it."

He added: "Following a previous convoy last year, we invited a Ukrainian team to compete in our UK Rescue Operation competition in Lincoln.

"These connections we forge can last a lifetime, and we’re really pleased to have been able to take part in this convoy."

Darren Cleaves, part of the South Wales team and the International Search and Rescue convoy management team, said: "It was a long four days travelling across Europe, we covered 1,286 miles from South Wales FRS HQ to the drop off point, but our team was absolutely fantastic, and the value of the mission cannot be understated."

Minister for crime, policing and fire, Chris Philp MP said: "Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine has taken a toll on the brave people of Ukraine’s Fire and Rescue Services, who have not just seen their equipment and buildings decimated, but also led to the loss of many heroic Firefighter’s lives."

FIRE AID’s chairman, David O’Neill MBE, said: "We know this donation will help support stations across Ukraine who have lost all their equipment and enable them to continue their vital support to their communities in their hour of need."

Fire Aid coordinator in Ukraine, Oksana Romanukha, also expressed gratitude for the support, signifying that the donated equipment and support signified hope and solidarity for their resilience and dedication.