Hero Briton is using his London black cab to evacuate vulnerable and disabled Ukrainian refugees


Taxi out of HELL! Hero Briton is using his 25-year-old London black cab to evacuate vulnerable and disabled Ukrainian refugees to safety in Poland

  • Roman Tymchyshyn, from Surrey, dropped everything to help in Ukraine  
  • The 31-year-old now runs his free taxi service for old and disabled refugees
  • He takes them in his hackney carriage the 50 miles to the Polish border
  • When his work is done, he will take up arms to defend the country of his birth 
  • The UN says 1.5 million have fled Ukraine after Russia invaded 11 days ago 
  • Follow all the updates on Ukraine by going to the MailOnline’s live blog here 


A London black cab has become an essential part in Ukraine’s humanitarian effort, evacuating vulnerable refugees to safety.

The 25-year-old hackney carriage is the ideal vehicle to carry old and disabled civilians through the crush of the mass exodus to Poland.

The five-seater, that has 239,000 miles on the clock, is driven by British national Roman Tymchyshyn, who dropped everything from his life in Surrey when war broke out in the country of birth to help.

Now the 31-year-old runs his free taxi service for old and disabled refugees who arrive at the chaos of Lviv railway station from the war that is ravaging the country.

The software engineer from Sunbury-on-Thames drives his exhausted passengers the 50 miles to the border so that they don’t have to fight for a space on the packed trains to Poland.

The UN estimates a total of 1.5 million have fled Ukraine, mainly to Poland,  Moldova, Hungary and Slovakia, after Russia invaded 11 days ago. 

A London black cab has become an essential part in Ukraine’s humanitarian effort, evacuating vulnerable refugees to safety

A London black cab has become an essential part in Ukraine’s humanitarian effort, evacuating vulnerable refugees to safety

The five-seater hackney carriage, that has 239,000 miles on the clock, is driven by British national Roman Tymchyshyn, pictured, who dropped everything from his life in Surrey when war broke out in the country of birth to help

The five-seater hackney carriage, that has 239,000 miles on the clock, is driven by British national Roman Tymchyshyn, pictured, who dropped everything from his life in Surrey when war broke out in the country of birth to help

The UN estimates a total of 1.5 million have fled Ukraine, mainly to Poland, Moldova, Hungary and Slovakia, after Russia invaded 11 days ago. Pictured: A group of children evacuated from an orphanage in Zaporizhzhia wait to board a bus for their transfer to Poland

The UN estimates a total of 1.5 million have fled Ukraine, mainly to Poland, Moldova, Hungary and Slovakia, after Russia invaded 11 days ago. Pictured: A group of children evacuated from an orphanage in Zaporizhzhia wait to board a bus for their transfer to Poland

Roman told MailOnline: ‘The day after the war broke out I was on the road to Ukraine to help.

‘I use my taxi to help elderly and disabled people to get out of the country.

‘The cab is big and comfortable and it is much easier for the old people to get in rather than having to fight their way on to the trains.’

Roman, who moved to Britain with his Ukrainian parents aged 14, has pledged to stay on after his humanitarian work is done to fight and defend the country from Russia.

He explained: ‘I am British and Ukrainian. My parents and my wife Ylyana all live in Britain. But we have all come back to Ukraine to do what we can to help.

‘At the moment I am running my taxi service for anyone who needs a lift. But when my work is done I will stay and fight. I am not afraid.’

Roman, who moved to Britain with his Ukrainian parents aged 14, has pledged to stay on after his humanitarian work is done to fight and defend the country from Russia

Roman, who moved to Britain with his Ukrainian parents aged 14, has pledged to stay on after his humanitarian work is done to fight and defend the country from Russia

Roman has so far carried dozens of old and disabled men, women and children to the border with Poland where they are left in the care of other volunteers

Roman has so far carried dozens of old and disabled men, women and children to the border with Poland where they are left in the care of other volunteers

But when his work is done – or the invading Russian army reaches the gates of his ancestor’s homeland – he will take up arms to defend Lviv

But when his work is done – or the invading Russian army reaches the gates of his ancestor’s homeland – he will take up arms to defend Lviv

Roman has so far carried dozens of old and disabled men, women and children to the border with Poland where they are left in the care of other volunteers.

But when his work is done – or the invading Russian army reaches the gates of his ancestor’s homeland – he will take up arms to defend Lviv.

He added: ‘I have a nice life at home. I am married and I have a good job.

‘But on the day that the Russian army invaded I asked my boss for time off and he agreed.

‘That night I packed the car and started driving. I spent that night in Poland and arrived in Ukraine the next day.

‘My family are originally from Lviv and everyone – my mum and dad, my wife have all come to do whatever we can to help.

‘My dad is old now but I will take a gun and fight for our freedom.’

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