On 16 January, we delivered to Ukraine ane ambulance for the 1st Medical Battalion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, thanks to the generosity of a private donor, with whom it's our first collaboration.

This battalion occupies a unique place in the Ukrainian medical effort. Originally part of the International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine, It gradually took shape as the fighting progressed and evacuations were carried out in the most exposed sectors. Building on this experience, it was formally integrated as an autonomous unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on 5 February 2025, becoming the first separate medical battalion of its kind in Ukraine.

This creation as an independent unit was documented by the Ukrainian press (https://ukranews.com/en/news/1074703-first-separate-medical-battalion-created-in-ukraine).

Since then, the battalion has been engaged on some of the most difficult fronts, with a clear mission: to evacuate the wounded and provide medical care as close as possible to the line of contact, often in extreme conditions. Its work has been widely publicised for rescue operations carried out under fire, sometimes after long weeks in a disputed area.

One of these operations was the subject of a official recognition by President Zelensky, who decorated the soldiers involved for their courage and professionalism during an exceptional evacuation that saved a seriously injured soldier (https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/prezident-vidznachiv-derzhavnimi-nagorodami-vijskovosluzhbov-101209).

The battalion also stands out for its ability to innovating directly from the field. It is involved in the development and use of the land-based evacuation drone. MAUL, a remotely-operated system designed to extract casualties without further exposing rescuers. This device, designed exclusively to save lives, has been heralded as one of the first of its kind in the world by the specialist press (https://thedefender.media/en/2025/11/maul-evac-saved-serviceman).

We studied several alternatives before making this choice. What this battalion does, day after day, is remarkable.

The ambulance, loaded with medical equipment collected thanks to our friends from the NGO Élan de solidarité Cotentin Ukraine, arrived from France as part of a convoy that will also carry 65 computers that we will deliver to community centres in Kherson (which will be the subject of another article)..

This is a modest contribution given the scale of the needs. But we know that it is useful, immediate and concrete.