Man from Grosmont, near Whitby, set to spend 500th day in Ukraine war zone

It comes as new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announces a £3bn a year plan to provide military support for Ukraine for “as long as is it takes” in its conflict with Russia.

Michael Betoin said: “When I first arrived in Kharkiv, I stood next to the war day-counter.

"That was in August 2022 and it read 225 days.

"Back then, I would never have thought that I would still be stood next to it over 600 days later.

"Allowing for a few trips of 2,000 miles each way back to Yorkshire to raise money and bring vehicles and humanitarian aid here, I have been in the war zone for 500 days on July 17.

He said the city of Kharkiv, only 25 miles from the Russian border, has been regularly and consistently attacked, but never taken by Russians, with three quarters of a million people leaving the area.

With massive attacks on the capital Kyiv, he said attention moved away from Kharkiv and people became a bit complacent, acting like the war was won.

But in January this year, things started to conspire against Ukraine, he said, as the Americans delayed military aid support and things “went downhill fast”.

"Putin saw an opportunity and with Ukrainian defences starting to collapse and little ammunition to fight back and no air defences, Kharkiv became a sitting duck,” said Mr Betoin.

"I clearly remember the day it started and being woken up at 5am by the first explosion.

"Usually, there will be three or four, but when I was still counting at 16, I knew it was the start of something big.

"The electricity infrastructure was all but destroyed and six months later we are still on rolling blackouts.

“From that day, there have been many large scale attacks, many of them aimed at residential areas.

“In May alone, there were 76 large scale strikes on the city.

"And then Russian troops came over the border en-masse just 20 miles away.

"The nightmare had come true. There was a lot of confusion, chronic anxiety and I could see panic was starting to set in.

"With so many strikes, the frequency, the intensity and the new dreaded glide bombs, it felt like probability had also become the enemy.

"The probability that sooner or later, one will land on your doorstep.”

He said there had been a noticeable drop in the energy of the people, who are weary and battered and belief of an all out victory was waning.

"For a long time, Kharkiv was near the front-lines, but never on it.

“But in the past 6 months it has felt like it is square in the sights of the enemy and they have been throwing everything at us.

"I've lost count of the convoys of tanks, armoured cars and other vehicles passing through the city on a daily basis.

"I don't think there is any doubt that Putin has now realised the importance of the city and taking it or systematically destroying it could be the key to a Russian victory.

"Contrary to that, Ukraine has to hold it at all costs to have any chance of victory.”