To Mark Allan, Ukraine is more than just a place seen in horrifying footage on the news.
Just months before Russia invaded its innocent neighbour, the Huntly retained firefighter visited the country to deliver old fire engines from the UK.
Mark says he was treated with great kindness, with grateful fire crews taking him out for meals as he trained them in how to use vehicles far more advanced than their own.
When he heard that the region he visited, Poltava, had come under attack from Putin’s forces he could only watch on wracked with worry for those he formed a bond with.
But Mark is now standing ready to help again, this time when it’s more needed than ever.
The 40-year-old, who is a mechanic by trade, is preparing to help bring three more fire engines to the besieged nation through the Scottish Emergency Rescue Association (Sera) charity.
Mark ready to respond to ‘fluid situation’
Volunteers were initially planning to drive them into Ukraine, but for understandable safety reasons they will now be brought to the Polish border to be collected.
Mark said: “Our plans keep changing, it’s a very fluid situation.”
The Shearers of Huntly worker can scarcely believe the place he visited just a few short months ago is now in the grip of such terror.
During his visit, he spent most of his time in Poltava but also stopped in Korosten.
‘It’s turned upside down’
He said: “Because I was there, I somehow feel a bit more connected to what’s going on.
“It’s just turned upside down.
“When we were there, there was no feeling that this was going to happen. It’s really sad.
“We spent four days training with the Poltava firefighters and got to build up a wee bit of a relationship with them.”
Mark added: “On the news, I can see firefighters dealing with the shelling.
“We left them with three appliances back then, and they’re using them now without having had time to change them from right-hand drive to left.”
The charity had been planning to bring this next tranche of engines to Moldova, but decided to divert them to where they are needed most.
In addition to the appliances, Sera will send across an 18-tonne truck filled with equipment.
Mark added: “It will make a huge difference.”
Last time, he and a handful of other volunteers spent four days driving the appliances over.
It was Mark’s first trip with Sera, after seeing an appeal for drivers online.
And ahead of this visit, he and a Shearers colleague spent all day last Saturday servicing Sera’s lorry in Huntly to prepare it for the journey.
Mark Allan: ‘I’m just wired differently’
When asked if he has any nerves about the trip, Mark explains that he has spent 16 years as a retained firefighter.
Rushing into danger to help others is nothing new to him.
“The first time, I just thought it would be an experience and a half to go over, ” he tells us.
“They have very little compared to what we can work with here.
“In terms of the dangers, I don’t think like that.
“My partner says, with the job I do, I am just wired differently. I don’t think twice”
Sera is a humanitarian organisation that has, since 2007, sent more than 70 fire engines and ambulances to places like Moldova, Ukraine, Serbia, Romania and Burund.
You can donate to Sera here.