Why every ambulance makes a decisive difference.

By Sebastian Herrmann

On a bitterly cold December morning, an ambulance pulls into the parking lot behind the Bamberg customs office. Finally. It’s just before eight in the morning, and the day is still grappling with the gray remnants of the night. Rüdiger and I have been standing and freezing behind the functional government building for a good fifteen minutes, looking out at industrial facilities. On this day in December 2022, we are embarking on our first journey together to Ukraine, delivering an ambulance.

Volodymyr is at the wheel of the ambulance, which he now maneuvers in a cheerful arc across the parking lot with verve. The Ukrainian clearly has a knack for staging moments. As he opens the driver’s door, music blares out: “Applaus, Applaus” by Sportfreunde Stiller. And of course, it makes sense—it’s the band that financed the vehicle, which bassist Rüdiger had found and purchased from a dealer in Hamburg. Volodymyr had driven the ambulance from there to Bamberg, loaded it with relief supplies with the help of the Bamberg:UA association, and finalized the customs paperwork.

Volodymyr wears a flat cap and a mischievous smile. His choice of song instantly breaks the ice: laughter, handshakes, chatter, and selfies all around. Volodymyr, who has been living in Germany for many years, hails from eastern Ukraine and was a Russian speaker until the full-scale invasion in February 2022. He explains that he helps wherever he can—it’s now his mission. “You know,” he says with wide, calming eyes and a shrug, “helping kind of gives you wings, and that’s important.” He says this with a tinge of guilt, as if admitting that helping others can feel so rewarding might be inappropriate.

And then Volodymyr said something that stuck with Rüdiger and me for the entire drive to Lviv, a sentiment that lingers even today, more than two years later. “If this ambulance saves even one life,” Volodymyr said, standing there behind the Bamberg customs office, “then your entire life has been worth it.”

Perhaps these words were a little exaggerated, a touch too grand and dramatic. But it’s undoubtedly true that every ambulance makes a significant difference. The ambulance Rüdiger and I delivered to Lviv in December 2022 was in service for nearly 400 days before it was lost near Bakhmut (thankfully, no one was harmed in the incident). On average, five injured individuals were treated and transported in this ambulance every single day.

Five people a day for 400 days—and that’s why we continue. That’s why we keep going, doing what we can for as long as necessary. Every ambulance saves lives and makes a difference—a positive difference.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributes and helps us ensure that, with the Chainreaction Bikeconvoy for Ukraine, we can deliver more ambulances to Ukraine this coming summer and continue to save lives. Let yourself be inspired, even just a little, by what Volodymyr said in Bamberg that day.