East Antrim man 'honoured' to be helping Ukrainian people

David Greer will be travelling to the war-torn country in the coming weeks with communication apparatus, water pumps and much-needed medical supplies.

Mr Greer, who has a background in the broadcast and satellite industry, went to Ukraine in April with his wife Ruth to help re-establish communications infrastructure after it was destroyed in the early stages of the war.

Now, six months after returning from Eastern Europe, the Kilcairn resident is gearing up to travel to the region again with more vital equipment.

Speaking to the Larne Times ahead of the generous effort, David said: “When the war broke out, I had satellite equipment in my garage and I felt it would be more useful to the people out there, so I set about planning to get it over to Ukraine and help people in the border regions.

"When the infrastructure was destroyed in the early stages of the conflict, a lot of people were separated from their loved ones. When residents were fleeing the country through the neighbouring borders, records were very sparse and were being recorded on paper, rather than electronically. Now, the re-established satellite connection is allowing records to be kept digitally, along with a photograph of the person, and this is helping to reunite families who had lost their relatives.

"Before the connection was established, people were having to drive hundreds of miles to relay the information to the next station. Cars were frequently attacked, but with the electronic link set up, it has made this a lot safer and may have helped to save lives.