MEET THE BRITISH FIREFIGHTERS SUPPORTING UKRAINE
Michael Gumeniuk has been a West Yorkshire firefighter for 22 years. He is also third-generation Ukrainian. Ukrainian was his first language, and his children go to Ukrainian school in Bradford, just as he did. This July, he gave up his time to drive a fire engine across Europe in a heatwave, with no air conditioning, sleeping in fire stations along the route.
“It’s not a jolly. It’s hard work. Early mornings, late nights, roughing it in fire stations. But it’s not about that. It’s about completing the mission.”
— Michael Gumeniuk, Firefighter, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Michael was one of 74 volunteer firefighters on the ninth convoy to Ukraine organised by FIRE AID and UK fire and rescue services. Together they delivered 21 fire vehicles, including 17 fire engines, and more than 2,355 pieces of firefighting equipment, handed over to Ukrainian partners at the Polish border on 2 July 2026. Four years into the full-scale invasion.
That same night, Russia launched one of the largest aerial attacks of the war on Kyiv: more than 70 missiles and around 500 drones. Residential blocks, a hotel and an ambulance station were among more than 20 sites hit. As CONVOY 9's vehicles reached their destination, emergency crews in the capital were digging through the rubble of collapsed apartment buildings. Four days later, another wave of strikes killed at least 22 people in the city.
This is what Ukraine's firefighters and rescue workers respond to, night after night. And this is where these vehicles are going.
“I know where these are going. And being a firefighter, I know what use these are.”
— Michael Gumeniuk
Every item on CONVOY 9 was driven across Europe by volunteer firefighters across the UK. Every item replaces something Ukraine has lost to war.
WHY UKRAINE'S FIREFIGHTERS NEED THIS EQUIPMENT
Ukrainian firefighters and rescue workers are out as missile strikes hit across cities, during drone attacks, entering burning apartment blocks, and they do it with a fleet that has been systematically destroyed.
Since February 2022:
Every fire engine on CONVOY 9 goes directly into that gap. FIRE AID tracks where its vehicles go and what they do: vehicles from previous convoys have already responded to more than 6,000 emergency incidents inside Ukraine, and over 2,500 Ukrainian firefighters are now working in fully operational UK-donated PPE and breathing apparatus.
For Michael, this isn't abstract. Twenty years ago he travelled to Sumy for a friend's wedding; a city that has since come under repeated shelling. He hasn't been back. Driving a fire engine to the border is what going back looks like now.
FIREFIGHTERS SUPPORTING FIREFIGHTERS
CONVOY 9 was driven, prepared and delivered by 74 volunteer firefighters from across the UK fire and rescue community. Serving and retired firefighters who gave their own time to get these vehicles to the border. The convoy departed the UK on 29 June and reached the Polish-Ukrainian border on 2 July, where vehicles and equipment were transferred to Ukrainian partners through a coordinated handover.
This is the FIRE AID model: firefighters delivering to firefighters. Craig Lloyd-Cowtan has been involved in all nine convoys, and drove on this one.
“The great thing about this is we know and do the job. We’re passionate about supporting our brothers and sisters who are going through such a hard time in Ukraine. It gives us a sense of not just supporting our own communities in the UK, but supporting communities internationally.”
— Craig Lloyd-Cowtan, Station Manager, Fleet & Equipment Services, Kent Fire & Rescue Service
CONVOY 9 was sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and FIRE AID, delivered in partnership with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), National Resilience, UK International Search and Rescue (UK ISAR), and 17 fire and rescue services across England and Wales.
“We’re all from the same brotherhood. You talk to firefighters around the world and we’ve all got the same gripes. We all love the job, and we’re all doing it for the same reasons, because we like helping people.”
— Michael Gumeniuk
Moving 21 vehicles and 74 people across four countries in four days is a logistical operation in its own right, and it doesn't always run to plan. As Craig puts it, every vehicle has "its differences to the previous ones," with "little problems to overcome, little hiccups here and there we all rise to the occasion. We pitch in and get it done."
WHAT WAS ON CONVOY 9
17 fire engines
3 vans and a prime mover
2,355 pieces of equipment: hoses, ladders, hydraulic cutting gear, road traffic collision equipment, airbags, generators and PPE
All equipment donated is surplus. UK services accounted for local needs and prioritised community safety at home before donating — a core principle of how FIRE AID works. Kit that would otherwise have been scrapped is now saving lives in Ukraine.
Every convoy costs money to run from fuel, ferries, logistics, insurance. Your donation gets the vehicles there.
ABOUT FIRE AID
FIRE AID is an umbrella organisation of UK fire and rescue NGOs delivering humanitarian projects in low and middle-income countries. Since 2022 it has coordinated the UK fire sector's response to the war in Ukraine, matching surplus equipment from UK services with the needs of Ukrainian firefighters, and delivering it through volunteer-driven convoys. Beyond Ukraine, FIRE AID supports fire and rescue capability in countries including Nepal, Kenya, Pakistan, and Ghana.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Donate. Convoys don't move without funding. Fuel for a single fire engine to the Polish border costs around £500. Donate to FIRE AID's Ukraine appeal today.
Ask your fire service. If you work in a UK fire and rescue service, ask whether your service donates surplus equipment through FIRE AID. As Michael puts it: "Sign up. Why not? Put your name down."
Share this page. Ukrainian firefighters have been on continuous emergency footing for four years. Visibility keeps support alive.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW MANY FIRE ENGINES HAS THE UK SENT TO UKRAINE?
Since 2022, UK fire and rescue services and FIRE AID have delivered 169 vehicles and more than 220,000 pieces of equipment to Ukraine across nine convoys, plus 11 fire engines donated before the full-scale invasion.
HOW CAN I DONATE A FIRE ENGINE OR EQUIPMENT TO UKRAINE?
FIRE AID coordinates ethical, sustainable donations of decommissioned but usable fire and rescue equipment from UK services. Contact us to discuss donations. Individuals can support convoys financially through our Ukraine appeal.
WHERE DOES MY DONATION GO?
Donations fund convoy logistics from fuel, ferry crossings, insurance and coordination. This is so that donated vehicles and equipment reach Ukrainian firefighters. Vehicles from previous convoys have attended over 6,000 incidents.
WHEN IS THE NEXT CONVOY TO UKRAINE?
Planning for the next convoy is already underway. Sign up to our newsletter or follow @fireaid to be first to hear, and donate now to be an integral part of this mission.
