Pete Masters is on his 10th trip to Ukraine delivering aid (Image: Tom Edwards/ BBC )
A brave British dad will be spending Christmas on the front line in after travelling to the war-torn country for the 10th time.
Dad-of-four Pete Masters, 55, from Hereford, has taken nearly £40,000 worth of medical aid and supplies to since the illegal Russian invasion began in February 2022.
Now Mr Masters, a cafe owner from Hereford, is working with a local church in the far east of delivering food and aid to local people caught in the cross hairs of the brutal conflict.
As well as delivery aid, Mr Masters and his friend the chaplain Alexander help evacuate civilians from villages that have come under fire.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Mr Masters, who has a , said spending time away from loved ones at Christmas would be hard but he couldn’t let down his friends in .
“It’s a mix of emotions, I have been scared, apprenhisive and worried, but also looking forward to getting back out here,” he said. “I carried a 50kg bag with me all the way here packed with donations.
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Mr Masters (right) and the Ukrainian chaplain Alexander in the country this week (Image: Supplied )
“I think my family are almost numb to my travels now, I’ve been here so many times, some people have told me it’s ridiculous what I am doing, but these people in are my friends and need my help, so it’s not ridiculous to me.
“I either keep doing what I am doing, or I just turn my back and never speak to these people again and pretend this war isn’t happening. I’d rather be here and take the risk.”
Mr Masters, who arrived in this week, added it was clear the front line was more active now as Putin’s forces stage a fierce winter assault.
He added: “We went to visit our friends and it was quite distressing to see how many of the bunkers where I saw soldiers had been hit and civilian houses have been destroyed. The landscapes has changed drastically. are smashing everything.
“There has has been taken a lot of destruction, it’s safe to say I’m in the thick of it here.”
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A medic with aid donated from Mr Masters (Image: Supplied )
Back home in Hereford 50p of every sold at his cafe, The Sacred Brew, is used to help buy aid and fund travel. Mr Masters is also working to set up a charity called to help bring in more donations.
The Foreign Office advise against all travel to most parts , but Mr Masters is not afraid to face the obvious dangers of Russian rocket attacks and drones.
On Christmas Day he plans to organise a football match with local Ukrainian soldiers using a ball donated by supporters of Millwall Football Club.
He said: “I have got a football and try and have a little knock about with the troops, but it is that hectic at the moment we don’t know.”