A Haslemere man who drove an ambulance into Ukraine has described the experience as “brilliant” – but deeply sobering – after witnessing ordinary life continuing under the shadow of war.

Michael Alves joined the mission after a surprise call last winter from friend Julian Critchlow in Petersfield, asking if he would help drive a fully stocked ambulance to Ukraine.

The pair were part of an eight-vehicle convoy travelling more than 1,000 miles to deliver emergency vehicles to Ukrainian medics, as part of the work of Help4Ukraine.

“You hit the edge of Ukraine and suddenly there are minefields, watchtowers, soldiers with machine guns – but to them it’s just routine,” he said.

Air raid sirens sounded while the convoy was still in Poland and again after leaving Ukraine, but it was the contrast inside the country that stayed with him.

“Life just goes on,” he said. “People were out for dinner, living normally. Then you walk into a cathedral and see thousands of photographs of those killed in the war. It’s completely sobering.”

Julian Critchlow added: “All those fallen young, innocent boys. It is an utter waste and it just reinforced our view that we were doing the right thing.”

He said the ambulances were immediately put into use after being handed over.

Critchlow said: “Handing over the ambulance there was such gratitude, not just for the supplies but that they have not been forgotten.”

One of the most powerful moments for Michael came when he met an emergency services commander who clears mines. His youngest son is 16 and too young to fight, while his two older sons are on the front line.

“To know that 16-year-old could lose half his family in a flash was really heavy,” Alves said. “It made me think of myself at 16 and how different life was. That really stayed with me.

“It’s not my country – but it’s all of our fight,” he said.