Rickshaws for the 151st: Update 4
Collection on behalf of the 151st Mechanised Brigade, ZSU
Hello everybody!
Time for an update in regards of our collection for the 151st Mechanised Brigade, ZSU, which is currently fighting in the Pokrovsk area.
‘Up front’ an update on the collection and results so far.
We’ve initiated this collection on 7 August. You were all so kind to understand the urgency, and thus by 12 August we’ve collected a total of US$ 15,256,—, of which US$ 8,665,84 via PayPal and UAH 190,478,58 via the bank account.
Original intention was to acquire a Mitsubishi L200 Rickshaw. As so often at war, ‘no plan is surviving encounters with enemy’, and so Anastasiia has got a Nissan Navara instead. The car was brought from the UK (that’s why the steering wheel is on the right side of the cab) to Ukraine, overhauled and re-painted, and then shipped (per train) to Dnipro, for delivery to the 151st Mechanised. This is a photo of the car on arrival there:
By that time, we’ve had the following expenses:
cost of the car: GBP 4,700,— (or UAH 249,100,—)
delivery to Ukraine: EUR 580,— (or UAH 26,564,—)
maintenance & repair: UAH 17,050,—
delivery to the 151st (i.e. transshipment from Lviv to Dnipro): UAH 5,700,—
That’s a total of US$ 7,190,—- or UAH 298,414,—.
On Tuesday, the car was ‘officially handed over’ to the 151st Mechanised:
While arranging the hand-over, Anastasiia was informed that the same sub-unit of the 151st needs few additional pieces of equipment, including a generator and a re-charger. As mentioned in the Update 3, the cost for these was UAH 49,847,— .
Anastasiia was so kind to load and set up everything, so that on hand-over the rear of the cab was looking like this (including cardboard boxes with generator and the re-charger):
So, thanks to YOU - your donations, your money - the 151st Mechanised Brigade, ZSU, has received a ‘like new’ Navara SUV, a generator, and a re-charger.
Now, on arrival to pick up the Navara, the old L200 SUV of the 151st’s sub-unit was looking like this:
….and was in need of a new pair of front struts, front shock-absorbers, new right leaf spring etc…. ‘Full revelation’, I’ve recommended a complete overhaul. Even more so because one of shock-absorbers was broken, and one of tyres was… well, ‘looking like not entirely suitable for peace-time road traffic’:
The gents said they can cope with most of issues (and, arguably, earlier this year I drew over 300km with a broken shock-absorber). Plus, well, sadly, the situation in the Pokrovsk area is the way it is. Thus, they were in a hurry. The L200 received ‘only few minor repairs’ plus a pair of new tyres that was available ‘on the spot’.
Price: UAH 17,300,—.
….and off they went, straight back into the battle, with the ‘like new’ Novara, and ‘minimally repaired’ L200 (but now ‘wearing’ a pair of new tyres).
Almost unnecessary to say it, the gents from the 151st Mech are all sending their BIG THANK YOU!!
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After all of these expenses, the account is looking like this:
PayPal: US$ 5,021,86
Bank account: UAH 80,146,— (that’s US$ 2,292,—), and
cash: UAH 15,000 (loft over from different withdrawals to pay repairs and maintenance, which had to be paid in cash).
Overall, thanks to you all being so kind and ready to help, we’ve still got: US$ 7,313,— left.
If nobody minds, and considering the 151st didn’t request anything else: Anastasiia is now preparing to acquire the second SUV for the same sub-unit of the 151st Mechanised. Reasons are simple: SUVs are smaller and faster than trucks, thus harder to hit for the Russian FPVs, and also better off-road (keep in mind: things with off-road driving are ‘easy’ in summer, but soon there will be autumn with deep mud, and then winter, too…).
This time, Anastasiia is aiming to get a Nissan X-Trail: it seems there is one available in better condition than this Navara (see: no need for an overhaul in Ukraine; repainting only), and could be acquired faster, too.
Hope, that’s OK with everybody: if anybody has better solutions on hand (for example: knows somebody who might be ready to offer a ‘better’ car?) or is not in agreement with this decision, please, kindly let me know in the commentary. Good ideas are always welcome!
And, if there is interest in continuing to collect for the 151st Mech (as mentioned earlier, I would like we all to ‘adopt’ this unit and help it further), we can continue to do so per PayPal to:
PayPal: 5266986@gmail.com (Purpose: ‘For Rickshaws’)
…at least until the authorities set up Anastasiia’s status of a volunteer: then we’re going to move over to the next related ‘project’.
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Except for helping the 151st Mech, the last week we’ve also supported the collection for the 209th Battalion, 113th Territorial Defence Brigade (see the bottom of the ‘Update 3’, here).
As always, you all were simply fantastic and Eduard Burghardt has thus received about €2,000,— - with help of which he’s set up the repair and maintenance of the SUV of that unit.
SPECIAL THANKS!!
Obviously, more is to follow: I’m going to keep you updated on Anastasiia’s efforts with the second SUV for the 151st, and also continue checking with what else we might be of help.
Thank you!!!
Thank you!