Retired Canadian Forces reservist delivers life-saving medical supplies to Ukrainian soldiers

A Canadian veteran in Kyiv is teaming up with a U.S. tactical equipment distributorto deliver criticalmedical supplies to treat injuredUkrainian soldiers in the field.

Retired Canadian Armed Forces reservist Kevin Leachsaid he was tempted to join Ukraine's fight against Russian forces as a foreign fighter. He said he reconsidered after his Ukrainian wife told him that she'd be going with him anywhere he went.

Leach said that when he met American Nick Pappas who was forbidden by his loved one from taking up arms they decided together to launch anon-governmental organization (NGO) called Project Volya to help in another way.

"Seeing that we're facing an existential threat from Russia, I have to contribute to victory," said Leach from his apartment in Kyiv. "Anything else, I would be crushed. It would destroy my soul."

Through donations from multiple countries, includingCanada, thepair are ordering and sending shipments of basic wartime supplies from the U.S. and Poland. The suppliesinclude tourniquets, hemostatic gauze to pack woundsand chest seals to help the wounded breathe.

"It's all about preserving lives, keeping Ukraine in the fight," said Leach, whofrom 2008-2018 served as a sergeant specializing in armoured reconnaissance.

"There are people being woundedbut having their lives saved, healing and being able to return to the fight or continue to contributeto the effort against Russia."

WATCH / 'Every single day there are people being wounded'

'Every single day there are people being wounded'

2 years ago

Duration 0:28

Project Volya's Kevin Leach says he wants to save the lives of Ukrainian fighters and Russian prisoners by donating shipments of medical supplies directly to Ukrainian soldiers.

The effortstarted when Pappas travelled to Lvivin western Ukrainein the first week of Russia's invasion. He loaded up duffel bags with $5,000 worth of medical supplies,thermal imaging telescopes and binoculars for the battlefield.

Pappas made his way to the Donbas region in southeastern Ukraine,donated his gear toUkrainian soldiers and showed them how to use it, said Leach.

"These guys were so excited to have a foreigner come out to their position and demonstrate through action that they cared," said Leach.

Since then, said Leach, he and Pappas have built anetwork of local drivers one of thema Ukrainian military veteran to transport supplies across the border from Poland straight to fighters ineastern Ukraine. Smaller shipments are easier to deliverquickly to military units in need, he said.

"We can get things where they're going without any red tape," said Leach of their connections with the Ukrainian armed forces. "It never has to go to a government warehouse."

The project is just getting started. One shipment has made it to the Donbas,a secondshipment is en route from the U.S. and the NGO has raised enough money for another order from Poland.

Leach said it's all been a big change for him.Since 2018, he's worked for the Canadian contingent of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)monitoring team in Kyiv.

Before Russia invaded in February, Leach's job was to monitor the conflict zone in the Donetsk and Luhansk region for any violations of the cease-fire. In a room lined wall-to-wall with TV screens, Leach watched sophisticated cameras and thermal feeds scanningthe "line of contact" betweengovernment and non-government forces inthe conflict zone.

His rolewas to record explosions, heavy weapons on the front lineor any other violations of the Minsk agreements.

"The whole idea was that this was going to avert a war," said Leach. "Sadly, it didn't work out."

In a separate effort, Canadian veteran and defence contractorChristopher Baxtersaid he'svolunteering tohelpdeliver medical supplies on a much larger scale.

Baxter runs the defence contractor companyCaina-Longbranch; hesaid he's sent dozens of shipments of weapons and ammunition toU.S. bases in Germanyand Baghdad during previous conflicts.This time, he said, he's handling logistics and working to arrange a cargo plane to pick up more than $750,000 worth of medical suppliesfrom the charity Care Convoy in Idaho.

The charity said it received a large donation from a hospital that includeseverything needed to set up and operatea field hospital in Ukraine. The shipment would include hospital beds, bandages, prosthetics, surgical tools, crutches, medications and sutures, according to Care Convoy.

"The adventure is to get a proper aircraft," said Baxter.

Having secureda private cargo plane through Ukrainian cargo carrier Antonov Airlines, Baxter said he's still trying to get the airport to waive landing fees and is asking for private donations to cover fuel and other costs. He said hewants the Canadian government to make cargo space available on militaryC-17 aircraftto transport privately-donated supplies to Ukraine.

WATCH /'You have to put people back together'

'You have to put people back together'

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Ottawa defence contractor Christopher Baxter says weapons aren't enough Ukraine needs medical aid in its fight against Russian forces.

"[Canadian] hospitals are upgrading and rotating out stock," said Baxter. "Some of this is perfectly good. If [Ukrainians] can't get donated stuff, they end up buying it on the black market, which could be ineffective, overpriced or downright lethal."

Baxter said the Canadian government also could set up Level 3 military hospitals in Ukraine's neighbouring countries Poland, Slovakia and Romania to help save those with potentially life-ending injuries.

"We've gone from 2022 back to 1945," said Baxter. "We're having complete, outright, full-scale warfare and decimation of hospitals. Everything you can name is simply being blown off the map. They literally need everything."