A former Isle of Man Fire Engine is being donated to the fire station of a war-torned city in Ukraine.
Manx Support for Ukraine is scheduled to transport the vehicle to Mykolaiv, in the south of Ukraine, later this month.
A local event company ELS had purchased the emergency vehicle at auction from a local event company, and an anonymous donor donated the funds to charity.
James Quinn, a charity trustee who will drive the vehicle to Ukraine, said that “every corner” would be filled with medical supplies and equipment which could help Ukrainian volunteer firefighters.
The Mykolaiv fire station currently has only one fire engine, dating back to 1964, and it has no water source on board.
The donated Volvo engine was manufactured in 1999 and is equipped with water tanks, pumping facilities, and a water tank.
MSfU also supports the efforts to rebuild the damaged station of fire and provide shelter for engine during the harsh Ukrainian Winter.
Mr Quinn also said that they would send “some generators and heating, anything we think will be useful to them”.
Mr Quinn, a veteran of the British Army, said the situation “recently got worse” when it came to the strikes in the city of 478,000 residents.
“The Russians are attacking power plants, which will make it difficult for people in Mykolaiv this winter. It’s going be a really terrible winter,” he said.
MSfU previously sent 54 pick-up trucks and an articulated lorry containing medical supplies from local hospitals to Ukraine.
It has 14 drivers with HGV licences on the island who can drive vehicles to the Polish Border or Ukraine itself. Mr Quinn is one of them, and he has made deliveries to Ukraine eight times before.
Read More @ www.bbc.com