Group rescues 30 animals from Ukraine front line

A former Royal Marine is returning to the UK after rescuing 30 cats and dogs living near the front line in eastern Ukraine.

Paul "Pen" Farthing, from Dovercourt in Essex, racked up 8,170 miles (13,148km) taking the animals from Kramatorsk to safety in Smila.

Despite the mission's success, the ex-commando, 56, said he left Ukraine feeling despair and vowed to return in June.

It was the latest daring operation completed by Farthing, who helped to extract 67 Afghan people and about 150 animals from Afghanistan in 2021.

Speaking to the BBC over the phone at the Ukraine-Poland border, he said: "When you go to the east and see the indiscriminate missile attacks and the drones, you just feel sadness that all of this is happening."

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, and troops have now advanced to within 7km (4.3 miles) of Kramatorsk.

Farthing, who toured Afghanistan between 2006 and 2007, travelled to rescue the animals there in April, fearing they would otherwise be shot on-sight.

He described feeling conflicted that although his Nowzad charity's mission was a "great success", the Ukrainian people were still suffering.

"We are just little pawns on the chess board and have no ability to stop [the war]," said Farthing, who grew up in north-east Essex but now lives in Exeter.

"It makes a mockery of it that we can leave and go home, and in a few day's time I can be sat in Exeter having a beer and not a care in the world about war."

Farthing was joined on the high-stakes quest by vets Lachlan Campbell and Angela Stoop, as well as Nowzad grants manager Nina Ley.

They dodged drone strikes and overhead missiles, but Farthing planned to return to continue the work after restocking supplies in the UK.

Ley said: "As we turned around and left, it still seemed like such a crisis, so unnecessary and so very sad."

She thanked supporters for their "amazing response" to Nowzad's appeal for £50,000 to continue the mission.

Ley added: "This is just the very beginning. We'll go back, we'll regroup, and we'll build more temporary housing."

Do you have a story suggestion for Essex? Contact us below.

Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.