Meet the Russian NHS doctor rowing 3,001 miles for Ukraine

Leo Krivskiy, 53, a Russian national, provides treatment at University Hospital Southampton as a consultant anaesthetist and hopes to complete the 3,374-nautical mile throw in 60 days, but has prepared with enough supplies for 100.

When the Russia-Ukraine war flared up again in 2022, Leo made a spontaneous trip to Ukraine with tourniquets and high quality bandages to aid the frontline.

Leo said: “When the war started I wanted to do something, and I wasn’t quite sure how to do it in the most efficient way. Because I had connections that I formed before the war, I just phoned people and asked ‘what do you need?’

Leo standing inside his row boat Happy Socks at Berthon Marina, Lymington. (Image: Newsquest) “I went to a hospital to give a lecture, a masterclass which was interrupted by air-raid sirens.”

Leo is Russian, but with his late Ukrainian mother, wife and a childhood full of unbreakable memories from Kyiv, he felt he had to distance himself from his own country.

Leo said: “It became a personal thing for me because you see the faces of people, you asked them what you need and then you get it for them.

READ MORE: MDL Marinas to expand Shamrock Quay on River Itchen

“It’s not like a big charity where people collect and buy stuff and send it, and then it gets dusty in a warehouse full of crap that nobody needs.

“Especially in medicine, because if you don’t have experts or don’t have someone that speaks the language, you don’t know what people need.”

Other boats docked at Berthon Marina, Lymington, where Leo's boat Happy Socks waits to be transported to Gran Caneria. (Image: Newsquest) The 58-year-old returned from Ukraine and felt empowered by the generosity of his colleagues at the hospital, who wanted to do whatever they could to help.

“I was lots of calls and messages to explain situations as they were happening,” Leo said.

“I put them in touch with colleagues from my hospital and were able to save tons of lives just by messaging.”

From the very start of our conversation, Leo made it very clear that he was not fussed about how much money he raised for Ukrops, his chosen charity.

​“It gives these people the human side of things because a lot of people think that nobody cares,” Leo said.

Leo leaving Berthon Marina to go on one of his quick eight-hour practice trips to The Needles, Isle of Wight and back. (Image: Newsquest) “Young doctors see horrible wounds every day and every day people are coming for amputations.
"On the human side of things, in spite of the horrors, I want to let them know that somebody cares.”

While Leo will row from Gran Caneria to Barbados in January 2025, he cannot plan a specific departure date for his 3,374 nautical-mile trip beforehand.

“I have a weather-router who will be providing me with updates twice a day, but you have to work with the tide,” Leo said.

READ MORE: Historic Southampton ocean liner to be sunk and become world's largest coral reef

“He might message me saying you need to leave in two weeks, or he could message me saying you need to leave in two hours, you have to be mentally ready to go.”

Since Leo will row the entire journey alone, he can do it entirely in his own way.

Leo said: “I’m completely in charge as to how I do it.

“Normally you row for 10 to 12 hours a day and people have autopilot but I don’t have that, so when I sleep it will be very unpredictable.”

You can find more information and donate at leosrow.com