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Since the beginning of the war, Latvia has been one of Ukraine's most determined allies. One of the most notable expressions of support was the Latvian government's decision to confiscate cars from drunk drivers and transfer them to the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This decision has helped to significantly simplify the work of volunteers, who can now quickly transfer cars to medical teams working on the front lines.
What you should know
The project, called Twitterkonvoja, involves converting confiscated and donated vehicles to evacuate the wounded. The jeeps are then used to transport casualties from the battlefield, which is critically important for medics who save lives in wartime.
The process of rebuilding each vehicle takes about 2-3 weeks. Volunteers remove all unnecessary parts and install armor made of metal and Kevlar plates to protect the vehicle from bullets and shrapnel. In addition, the chassis is reinforced so that the jeeps can withstand the harsh conditions of war.
“Our donations are important because, although we spend our own time and energy, we need to purchase materials for car armoring — Kevlar, armor plates, sealants, and other materials,” notes one of the volunteers. Reconstruction of one car costs 2-2,5 thousand euros.
During the project implementation, 26 vehicles have already been transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and three more are currently in the re-equipment stage. Each such vehicle is of great importance, because for the rapid evacuation of the wounded and their delivery to hospitals it can be a decisive factor in saving lives.
The project began shortly after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, and since then Latvia has continued to actively support Ukraine. This assistance includes not only humanitarian support, but also numerous initiatives aimed at helping military and civilian personnel affected by the war.
