Mountain Media, LLC
  • West Virginia News
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • Mountain Messenger
      • Pocahontas Times
      • Parsons Advocate
      • Pendleton Times
      • Clay County Free Press
      • Calhoun Chronicle
      • Shinnston News
    • By County
      • Greenbrier County
      • Clay County
      • Harrison County
      • Calhoun County
      • Pocahontas County
      • Pendleton County
      • Tucker County
  • Virginia Media, INC
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • The Enterprise
      • Fincastle Herald
      • Henry County Enterprise
      • News Messenger
      • News Journal
      • Vinton Messenger
      • New Castle Record
      • Salem Times Register
    • By County/City
      • Botetourt County
      • Henry County
      • Radford
      • Christiansburg/Blacksburg
      • Patrick County
      • Vinton
      • Roanoke
      • Salem
      • Craig County
  • National News
  • About Us
  • Submit Content
  • Contact Us
  • Classifieds
  • Login
  • My account
Subscribe For $2.50/Month
No Result
View All Result
MM, LLC
  • West Virginia News
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • Mountain Messenger
      • Pocahontas Times
      • Parsons Advocate
      • Pendleton Times
      • Clay County Free Press
      • Calhoun Chronicle
      • Shinnston News
    • By County
      • Greenbrier County
      • Clay County
      • Harrison County
      • Calhoun County
      • Pocahontas County
      • Pendleton County
      • Tucker County
  • Virginia Media, INC
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • The Enterprise
      • Fincastle Herald
      • Henry County Enterprise
      • News Messenger
      • News Journal
      • Vinton Messenger
      • New Castle Record
      • Salem Times Register
    • By County/City
      • Botetourt County
      • Henry County
      • Radford
      • Christiansburg/Blacksburg
      • Patrick County
      • Vinton
      • Roanoke
      • Salem
      • Craig County
  • National News
  • About Us
  • Submit Content
  • Contact Us
  • Classifieds
  • Login
  • My account
No Result
View All Result
Mountain Media, LLC
  • Virginia News
  • West Virginia News
  • National News
  • Login
  • My account
  • Subscribe
Home Local National News

Ukrainian welders turn donated vehicles into army transport

March 28, 2022
in National News
Reading Time: 2 mins read
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

LVIV, Ukraine (AP) — A strawberry-scented air freshener dangled from the Ukrainian military’s latest vehicle to head to war.

In a welding shop in Ukraine’s western city of Lviv, workers were adding steel plates to a donated pickup truck so a volunteer could drive it to the front.

“Our victory depends on us,” said Ostap Datsenko, a welder who is part of a huge volunteer effort playing a role in Ukraine’s resistance, with support from the diaspora.

But he hadn’t expected to see so much of the war, or its shrapnel, so soon.

He had been standing on the truck hurrying to finish the job before sunset Saturday when he heard a noise, looked up and saw an object whizzing through the air.

“It was pretty large, but I’ve never seen rockets before,” he said. “Then I heard a huge explosion.”

The Russian airstrike hit a factory connected to the military, and the blast sent Datsenko tumbling. Dazed, he hurried into the garage’s makeshift bunker in the grease pit.

The following day, he was back at work for the finishing touches on the truck before it’s driven on Monday to eastern Ukraine, along with three other vehicles.

The truck’s camouflage paint job was complete. The welders put bars in the back to help support a machine gun.

The 31-year-old Datsenko, his clothes streaked with oil, said he was ready like all Ukrainian men to be called up to fight. But he had no combat experience, meaning his time is yet to come.

Until then, he said, “I’m doing what I can.”

Ukraine’s military appears to have fought Russia’s much larger army into a stalemate on some fronts, which has surprised many observers. One of Ukraine’s weapons is a parallel army of volunteers who are busy mobilizing funding and supplies ranging from body armor to cigarettes. Others make the military connections.

In Lviv, which had been relatively far from the war until the airstrikes on Saturday, the welding shop looked for ways to help. It started off making “hedgehogs,” or the metal barriers placed at checkpoints and around some sensitive facilities. Then they heard the call for cars.

“Any vehicles are very much in demand on the front line” by commanders, said Artem Pastushyna, a 27-year-old welder with metal nuts glinting in his earlobes.

Only a small number of the vehicles have been adapted with steel plates and camouflage, he said. The need is too big and there’s little time.

“Many cars from Europe are driven directly to the front line,” Pastushnya said.

The truck was the first vehicle that the welding shop has adapted, he said, and he hopes they’ll do many more.

Until then, the welding shop is paying new attention to its grease pit after Saturday’s airstrikes. They had expected an attack sometime but not one so big, Datsenko said.

In the pit-turned-bunker, accessed by a wooden ladder, an empty pizza box indicated that the workers had spent more time there than usual.

“Until yesterday, it was only a basement,” Datsenko said. “Now we realize it would be wise to have more stuff there.”

___

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

ShareTweetShare

Related Posts

Producer claims Fox coerced testimony in Dominion libel case

March 22, 2023

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — A Fox News producer has filed a lawsuit claiming the network pressured her to give misleading...

Oklahoma court OK’s abortion to preserve mother’s life

March 22, 2023

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A divided Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned a portion of the state’s near total ban...

Def Leppard drummer recovering from attack outside hotel

March 22, 2023

Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen says he is recovering from an attack earlier this month outside a Florida hotel. Allen,...

Gwyneth Paltrow’s lawyer calls Utah ski collision story ‘BS’

March 22, 2023

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Gwyneth Paltrow's lawyer called the story of a retired optometrist who is suing her over...

Huge fire destroys New Jersey church, draws 150 firefighters

March 21, 2023

FLORENCE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — Fire destroyed a large New Jersey church, collapsing its roof as more than 150 firefighters...

Japan’s PM offers Ukraine support as China’s Xi backs Russia

March 21, 2023

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a surprise visit Tuesday to Kyiv, stealing some of the...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • My account
  • Subscribe
  • Classifieds
Call us: +1 234 JEG THEME

© 2021 Mountain Media, LLC

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart
  • West Virginia News
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • Mountain Messenger
      • Pocahontas Times
      • Parsons Advocate
      • Pendleton Times
      • Clay County Free Press
      • Calhoun Chronicle
      • Shinnston News
    • By County
      • Greenbrier County
      • Clay County
      • Harrison County
      • Calhoun County
      • Pocahontas County
      • Pendleton County
      • Tucker County
  • Virginia Media, INC
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • The Enterprise
      • Fincastle Herald
      • Henry County Enterprise
      • News Messenger
      • News Journal
      • Vinton Messenger
      • New Castle Record
      • Salem Times Register
    • By County/City
      • Botetourt County
      • Henry County
      • Radford
      • Christiansburg/Blacksburg
      • Patrick County
      • Vinton
      • Roanoke
      • Salem
      • Craig County
  • National News
  • About Us
  • Submit Content
  • Contact Us
  • Classifieds
  • Login
  • My account

© 2021 Mountain Media, LLC

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
  • Sign in
  • New account

Forgot your password?

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive mail with link to set new password.

Back to login