A 23-tonne lorry load of urgently needed medical supplies has been delivered to hospitals in war-ravaged eastern Europe, following an appeal by a Wye Valley-based Ukrainian mum.

Marina Gawluk from Brockweir launched a “Stand with Ukraine’ crowdfunder after the Russian invasion, and the £75,000 shipment arrived in under-fire Kharkiv 30 miles from the Russian border last week.

She teamed up with two locally-based hospital consultants, Simon Lee and his wife Dr Sharon Marlowe, to arrange the mercy missions.

Mr Lee is a reconstructive surgeon who has previously worked for Medicins Sans Frontiers and as a War Surgeon for the International Committee of the Red Cross, while Dr Marlowe is a specialist in infectious diseases and tropical medicine.

And Marina said after the safe arrival of the consignment: “Everyone involved is safe and these hospitals have more life-saving supplies than at any point since the start of this awful war. Thanks to you and to our team.

“We contracted a Polish Daf LX 23 tonne lorry to pick up from Cardiff, Newport and Simon Lee’s Clinic in Clifton.

“The driver and his son took turns in driving across France, Belgium, Germany and Poland. After a delay at the border, our Ukrainian driver with a similar size lorry loaded the shipment into his and then crossed back into Ukraine.

“With an armed support vehicle, they drove for 20 hours with very few breaks across the entire length of Ukraine avoiding the main conflict areas.

“They arrived at the hospital in Poltava but were unable to unload there as the shipment was just too big! They then drove to the nearby military base where it was unloaded and stored for collection.

“Our chosen recipient- Kharkiv Military Hospital & Okhtyrka, Sumy then sent soldiers in unmarked people carriers during the evening to load the supplies and then back there during a lull in the continuous bombing of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city and to Sumi.

“There was rarely an hour when we weren’t speaking to them and checking on their progress day and night.

“Kharkiv Military Hospital treats soldiers and civilians alike and the medical staff are already using the surgical aid we have delivered to save lives.

“There was even a box of hand-made chocolates for the staff – each with a hand written note of warmth and support – which they absolutely loved.

“We have succeeded in our first mission! This is what you have helped make happen.

“Don’t stop now! We go again to a new hospital next week. Ukraine has not given up and neither will we.”

A second £100,000 consignment of surgical items is due to go out next week and people can donate to the fundraiser at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/stand-with-ukraine#start or by going to www.crowdfunder.co.uk and searching for ’Stand with Ukraine Marina Gawluk’.

Marina added: “We appreciate everyone is already fatigued with the non-stop doom news and appeals, but I ask you all to dig deep, share this appeal and help the hospitals whilst you still can.

“There is another shipment of life saving medical equipment almost ready to go but we do not have enough funds to supply everything they require.

“Please, please, help us get over the line for this next shipment as time is running out. Our ability to deliver to the war zone diminishes by the day.”