A Hampshire business executive has described the "incredible reception" he received as he and a friend drove two ambulances packed full of two tonnes of medical supplies into Ukraine.

Charles Blackmore, who founded commercial intelligence specialists Audere International in 2015, drove one of the two vehicles from the UK to Lutsk via Warsaw, roughly a 1,243-mile trip, arriving in the Ukrainian city on Friday evening.

Mr Blackmore, said he was instantly embraced by leaders of the Oblast region of Ukraine when he delivered the 231,000-item haul, which included aprons, gowns, scalpel blades, visors and antiseptic solutions.

His son, Oliver, who oversees operations at the company, sourced the supplies at the request of Ukrainian officials who were in desperate need of means to operate on wounded soldiers and civilians.

Speaking on his way back to the UK, he said: “We hit some delays going across the border, but the welcome on the Ukrainian side was palpable. The atmosphere just changed – they were so pleased to see us.

“It was an extremely warm welcome, we were in the square opposite the city hall surrounded by soldiers and policemen armed to the teeth. The mayor and his deputy came out to meet us and there was just a tremendous amount of hugging and appreciation for what we had done.

“There were speeches and patriotic songs – at one point they all stood and sang the Ukrainian national anthem, which was definitely an eye watering moment. That reception made the journey worthwhile.

“As we were driving in the twilight towards Lutsk it was haunting, whole villages and towns were in curfew. Once we got to the city – which is made up of around 211,000 people – we subsequently learned from the reception committee that around 70 per cent of them had actually left.

"And when you see for yourself what is happening, to be able to bring aid to those people made it an even more important journey."

Audere, which provides intelligence to parties wishing to make overseas investments, has already been active in the effort in Ukraine since the start of Russia's invasion, helping with the evacuation of some 150 people from Kyiv. Its security operatives have also been conducting frequent supply runs across the border.

Mr Blackmore said it was important that the company, which did business in Russia and eastern Europe before the invasion began, should "put our shoulders to the wheel" and assist in Ukraine.

"We had been involved in evacuating people out of Afghanistan last August," he said.

"We did not expect some seven months later to be involved in a second evacuation, this time in Europe. But when it happened, we had the right operating template to be able to contribute to the humanitarian aid and provide support for the Ukrainian people."

As part of that effort, the company has delivered two tonnes of food and 300 litres of liquids, as well as essential items like first aid and clothes, and extensive medical supplies.

But Mr Blackmore was moved to do something more personal after speaking to an American friend of his, Herb Holtz.

Mr Blackmore explained: "He said, 'I want to do something meaningful. My grandfather was Ukrainian, he left in 1905. I want to do something more than write a check'.

"So, I said, 'Let's buy a couple of ambulances, one each, and let's both first take them down, take them into Ukraine, and see the end result'."

The disused ambulances were sourced via a charity in the UK and filled with two tonnes of medical supplies.

Describing one hairy moment, Mr Blackmore told of how he had to be towed to a nearby garage after his vehicle broke down while travelling through Poland.

However, owing to some “amazing” work from Polish mechanics, who the 64-year-old said effectively rebuilt the bottom section of the engine from scratch, he was able to press on with the aid mission.

And although the goods were delivered to Lutsk, in western Ukraine, Mr Blackmore said he had been assured the vehicles and supplies would be going "right to the front line".

"They're going to Bucha, for example," he said.

"And we're very happy that the ambulances were really properly prepped, properly serviced, so that we know they're going to last what was obviously going to be a long journey for them.

"And they, I suspect, are going to get a lot of use if the situation continues as it is right now."

Mr Blackmore, a former soldier who spent time posted in Winchester, praised the generosity of the British people, saying: "There's so many people doing so much, whether they're working in food kitchens, or whether they're helping refugees or whether they're volunteering to drive ambulances to Poland."

He said the Ukrainians "really appreciate" the help and support coming from the UK.

And although he said there was a "sense of satisfaction" from having done his own bit to help, he stressed there was "more to be done".

"What impressed us most was the cheerfulness and the resolve of the Ukrainian people," he said.

"And it's very important that we stand even closer behind them and give them the more support and we're going to look to do that ourselves."