'Send more tanks' to Ukraine, pleads to wounded German aid worker

Mr Mavic was traveling with three colleagues when their car was hit by a Russian shell. Photo: Twitter

A German aid worker who narrowly escaped death after a Russian missile strike on his convoy in eastern Ukraine called on Berlin to “send more tanks” to Kiev.

Speaking from his sick note beds near the front line in the eastern Donbass region, Ruben Mavic called on the German government to «send more of everything.»

«Send more tanks to the army, send more supplies to the army,» he said. «This war is not yet finished, it is still far from finished.”

Mr Mavik was driving with three colleagues from the non-governmental organization Road to Relief on Monday near Bakhmut when their car was hit by a Russian shell. , causing the car to overturn and burst into flames.

Emma Igual, the founder of an NGO, died in the attack along with Anthony Ignat, a Canadian volunteer.

Mr Mavic's appeal comes after critics have repeatedly accused the German government of being too slow to act. Photo: Twitter

Mr Mavic, According to the non-governmental organization, 20 people, and Johan Mathias Thier, a Swedish aid worker, survived but suffered serious shrapnel wounds and burns.

The relief road was created in last year to help evacuate civilians from front-line settlements. Operations to deliver aid to affected areas have recently expanded.

Describing himself as «an ordinary guy who likes to go to carnivals and shooting festivals» in his hometown in Germany's western Rhine region, paramedic Mavic said he volunteered in Ukraine because «there is a need to fight injustice.»

< p>“I hope I don’t become [disabled], I hope that my hearing will be restored,” he said.

Mr Mavic's call for Berlin to step up support comes as the German government has been repeatedly accused by critics of being too slow to provide Kiev with key weapons.

Mr Mavic called on the German government to “send more of everything”. Photo: Twitter

During German Foreign Minister Annalena Bärbock's visit to the Ukrainian capital this week, her colleague Dmitry Kuleba insisted on the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles, saying he could not understand why “time was wasted.”< /p>

Domestic opponents also called on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to supply Kiev with German-made shells that have a range of more than 300 miles and are launched from fighter jets. .

But the German leader has so far refrained from doing this, making it clear that Berlin will only act together with Washington in matters of arms supplies.

Britain and France provided Ukraine with Storm Shadow and Scalp cruise missiles , similar to Taurus. However, the United States has so far refrained from sending its ATACMS to Ukraine, despite requests from Kyiv.