British veterans and Ukrainian personnel to row Atlantic in support of wounded

A team of British veterans and Ukrainians, all of whom bear the physical and emotional scars of conflict, are uniting for a 3,000-mile row across the Atlantic Ocean.

Their mission is to raise awareness of the human cost of the ongoing war in Ukraine, while also raising funds for the Invictus Games Foundation.

The Row4Ukraine team is led by Lee Spencer BEM, a former Royal Marine and current Yeoman Warder who holds four Guinness World Records for ocean rowing.

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Mr Spencer is joined by Ukrainian volunteer soldier Semen Lagun, who lost part of his foot to a mine during a battle near Mar’inka, and Igor Olehovych, who lost his right leg below the knee in 2017 but returned to the frontline when the war with Russia escalated.

For Mr Olehovych, this challenge is personal as his brother has been missing in action since April 2023 while fighting in Bakhmut.

Joining them are British veteran Andy Merry, who battles Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, and Ukrainian marine corps veteran Ivan Gavrylko, who sustained multiple serious injuries in combat.

The team are staying at the Tower of London before beginning their intense training regimen in Plymouth ahead of the gruelling row from the Canary Islands to Barbados.

Boatbuilder Dmytro Rezvoy, a Ukrainian now based in the UK, is supplying and preparing the vessel for the journey in December.

His commitment is rooted in his own connections to the conflict, with family and friends still fighting in Ukraine.

The Atlantic row represents more than a physical challenge as it is a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by those who serve, and a call to support the ongoing struggle for recovery faced by wounded soldiers.