Dragon boats set for Ukraine soldiers' rehab

The boats had to be lifted by machinery to be loaded on to a lorry to be driven to Ukraine [BBC] Four dragon boats, donated to Ukraine by clubs across England, are on their way to Ukraine to help rehabilitate injured soldiers. The 40ft racing boats have been donated to the Odesa Dragons team after their equipment and boathouse was destroyed by a Russian attack on the Black Sea city in 2023. They are being transported to Ukraine in a lorry also filled with donated medical equipment, a generator and a skulling rowboat.

Daniel Windsor, from events company Race the Dragon, which donated two of the boats, said they would give Ukrainians the "opportunity to head back out with their friends, with their colleagues on the water". Originating in China, dragon boat racing has expanded in popularity around the world - including in Ukraine where four teams were based in Odesa. A member of the GB Senior Women's dragon boat racing team, Eleanor Fitzgerald, began volunteering with Ukrainian Action in 2025 and has established the link between the British dragon boating community and enthusiasts in Ukraine.

She said the Odesa Dragon Boat Federation had been a "really active club" before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Eleanor Fitzgerald, a volunteer for Ukrainian Action, says the boats will help rebuild a future for Ukraine [BBC] "Odesa is a huge city, a beautiful city based on the Black Sea and unfortunately, since the war has started, things have really changed for them. " "When you live in a place that's a port, the water is part of everything they do, and so not to be able to go on the water is terrible.

" Buoyancy aids, paddles and safety equipment were dispatched in January and four 40ft boats are currently being transported. "The logistics are the hardest part because the generosity of the people is there and that energy is there. But part of that energy has helped with the logistics," she added.