Czech volunteer reflects on two years helping Ukraine: from 'vacation trips' to life-and-death missions

František Glac, a Czech construction engineer, has been providing extensive assistance to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022. In the initial months following the outbreak of war, Glac used his old van to evacuate people from dangerous zones on a weekly basis, primarily mothers with children and elderly residents. He rescued a total of 500 people, spending 80,000 euros of his own company funds on these missions. Glac describes how his perspective on the trips has fundamentally changed over the past two years, noting that what once felt like casual excursions to Ukraine in shorts has transformed into dangerous, life-threatening operations where he now carries equipment including shotguns for drone defense.