“It’s important to show reality”

A Ukrainian ambulance riddled with bullets was exhibited across Grenoble (Isère), this Friday, November 1, to recall the crimes committed by the Russian army since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The action also aims to raise donations to finance new vehicles on the front.

It was exhibited as a testimony to the atrocities of the war in Ukraine. This Friday, November 1, a Ukrainian ambulance riddled with dozens of bullet holes wandered through the streets of Grenoble.

This project, supported by 46 Franco-Ukrainian associations, aims to recall the violence affecting the country, at war with Russia since February 2022: “The goal is educational. It's important to show the reality of the war in Ukraine, it's very close. It's important to show people something concrete, the vestiges of the war. This action makes abstract things a lot more concrete”explains Tatyana Lyubchyk, from the Ukraine Grenoble Isère association, in charge of the action in the capital of the Alps.

The ambulance in question experienced the reality of the conflict. The history of this vehicle dates back to April 2022, a few weeks after the start of the invasion. The Kharkiv region was then partially occupied by Russian troops. In Stary Saltiv, a town near the border, an injured man managed to take refuge in the basement of a building.

The victim then calls for help. The latter rush despite the danger. But when returning to the vehicle, it is targeted. It will not restart. The caregivers and the victim are then stranded for a long time.

These scenarios are not exceptional. They have even become common: according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, 258 ambulances have been destroyed by the Russian army since January 1, 2024. However, “shooting at ambulances is prohibited by the Geneva Convention”recalls the president of the association.

In Grenoble, the ambulance riddled with bullets was exhibited at Place de Verdun, in front of the prefecture, at the station but also at the Jardin de Ville. Many visitors, intrigued by the bodywork in poor condition, came to meet the Ukraine Grenoble Isère association.

“I find it shocking to get shot while trying to help your neighbor”concedes Matthieu, a young student. “It’s upsetting to see that they are attacking civilians. They are not even soldiers. Usually, we see this kind of thing on TV or on social networks”notes his brother, Romain.

The initiative of all these associations, which are carrying out this project in different cities in France, is also to collect donations: “The second goal is to raise funds to be able to buy other ambulances like this. These ambulances are perishable in Ukraine. Their lifespan is very short. It is on average only around fifteen days. On the front , these ambulances are victims of gunfire, or even mines”pursued by Tatyana Lyubchyk.

It is possible to participate in this collection of donations, online, through the kitty launched by the Union of Ukrainians of France. The vehicle is on display in Grenoble until Sunday November 3.