Twelve refurbished ambulances depart Helsinki for Ukraine as demand for emergency vehicles remains critical

A convoy of 12 refurbished ambulances left Helsinki’s Narinkka Square on Wednesday, bound for Ukraine as part of one of Finland’s largest humanitarian aid efforts, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reports.

The ambulances, decommissioned from Finnish emergency services but fully restored, will be driven by volunteers from the Lions Club charity organization through the Baltic states and Poland to Kyiv. From there, they will be deployed primarily to the frontline regions of Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Pavlohrad, and Kharkiv, where the need for emergency medical transport remains acute.

Ukrainian authorities estimate that a single operational ambulance can save between 35 and 70 lives per month. The vehicles are frequently targeted in the conflict, with reports of Russian tactics involving follow-up strikes on rescue personnel arriving at attack sites.

“It’s an overwhelming feeling to know what these ambulances will do in Ukraine—their necessity and impact,” said Jari Järvelä, the project coordinator, who has personally delivered previous shipments. He noted that while Ukrainian medics are highly skilled at repairing damaged vehicles, the risks persist: “Ambulances are unfortunately a primary target. They are destroyed daily.”

Since launching in 2024, the Lions Ambulance Project has become one of the organization’s most extensive humanitarian initiatives in Finland, involving roughly 500 local clubs and raising nearly €500,000 in donations. Two earlier convoys have already delivered 16 ambulances to Ukraine in collaboration with Pro Patria Suomi-Ukraina and the Dobrobut Foundation.

Despite the dangers—including air raid alerts and the ever-present threat of attacks—Järvelä emphasized the mission’s urgency: “I want to help. I know this makes a real difference.”