A group of volunteers from Europe, Ukraine and the US are working to convert civilian trucks into Ukrainian military vehicles. The trucks are equipped with armor and weapons. The group has repositioned 60 vehicles and has 15 in progress to supply Ukrainian Army mobile combat units.
A group of volunteers consisting of Ukrainians, Europeans and Americans is working to convert civilian vehicles into battle trucks for the Ukrainian army. The team, led by Ivan Oleksii, a 25-year-old esports analyst from Kherson in southern Ukraine, is working to equip the Ukrainian army with converted cars from across Europe. Since the start of the project in March, the team has completely renewed 60 vehicles and has another 15 in progress to supply the Ukrainian army mobile combat units. Oleksii, based in Lviv, western Ukraine, explained the conversion process. The lorry models you see parked on the road or driven to the mall are converted into vehicles capable of attacking Russian tanks. He told Insider that they initially looked for used 4-wheel diesel trucks with 2.0-liter or more engines, priced at about 5,500 euros, about $ 5,821. Favorite models include the Toyota Hilux / Tundra, Mitsubishi L200, Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara / KingCab, Isuzu D-Max, Mazda BT-50 / Mazda B2500 and the Jeep Gladiator. Most vehicles are purchased from Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Scandinavia or the United Kingdom. All their money comes from crowdfunding through their website. Once the vehicles reach the team in Ukraine, they are retrofitted by volunteer engineers and engineers who reinforce the truck body to provide protection against mortar and shell fire and add a base to the rear of the vehicle for a Javelins machine gun or Anti-tank weapon. NLAW and Stingers. The 43rd Cars4Ukraine civilian car used by Ivan Olekssi for retrofitting (before) The 43rd Cars4Ukraine was modified (later) by Ivan Oleskii Adding a second layer of metal plate to the truck chassis is one of the most critical parts of the repositioning process, Oleskii explains, as it has helped save lives. The story goes on “There have been some cases where the vehicle was attacked, but it protected the soldiers and saved lives,” Oleskii said, showing Insider a photo of a truck still able to drive after being hit by a Russian explosive device. All trucks come decorated with a Ukrainian flag and the slogan, “Russian warships go fuck yourself”. Ivan Oleksii with a metal shield used to protect the car from explosions Ivan Oleksii Together with Car4Ukraine teammate Ivan Karbashevskyi, Oleksii also created War-Stop.com, an initiative that allows anyone around the world to buy supplies – from first aid kits and thermal underwear to radios and binoculars – for the Ukrainian military. “We have found a way to have a real impact.” Ukrainian soldiers shoot from the back of a truck modified by Cars4UkraineIvan Oleksii Medically excluded from fighting in Ukraine’s armed forces, Oleski said he wanted to find a way to substantially support his country’s military effort. “I wanted to do this project because it has a very direct impact. “You buy a car, you repair it, you arm it, you put it in the back to hold machine guns or anti-tank weapons, and then you have a burned-out Russian tank.” Ukrainian soldiers with a truck equipped with an anti-tank weapon from Cars4UkraineCars4Ukraine Oleksii adds that his parents are still trapped in Russian-occupied Kershon. He describes the “new normal” as phone calls to his father against the background of the percussion of the Russian bombing. “Everyone has their hands and feet” when asked if his family is safe. That’s why Cars4Ukraine is so important to him. “If there is at least one thing we can do to reclaim the land, we will do it,” he said. Read the original article in Business Insider
