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15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 AUGUST 2024 ridors echo as we make our way through the building. But the functionality of the space could not be more different. The cleanliness, organisation, itemisation and proficiency of every element of the struc- ture is evident at a glance. Inventories, itineraries, rosters, security protocol and housekeeping schedules paper the walls on every level. The MOAS staff, both on and off duty, are all in uniform and can be seen keeping busy cleaning, categoris- ing, restocking, cooking and refilling jer- rycans. Artem has devised an ingenious make-shift water reservoir system and a locker-based ambulance restock protocol to ensure full capacity of all vehicles both day and night. Crew drift in and out of the recreation room to greet us as their shifts change. They pour over the book, pointing out familiar faces in the photos, calling out to one another and trying to highlight important people or places to us. When dusk comes, the halls empty. The on-duty crews prepare to deploy, while those next on the schedule get much needed rest. We sit quietly on the dilapidated so- fas and along the intimidatingly laden weights bench and listen to the rumblings from the front. You quickly learn to discern the sound of drone strike from the reply of anti-aircraft guns, the boom of heavy artillery from the rhythmic rattle of the guns. The air raid sirens go off once or twice, but here, this close to the action, it's hardly worth an- nouncing danger. Everyone who is still here knows they live under the threat of bombardment every minute of every day. Alina is the first to be called for an evac- uation. It's 11:15pm and she is dressed by Vitalii in her bullet proof vest. She looked so small as she walked with our team to the transfer vehicle. We stood on the steps as they drove out of sight. They'll be driving to one of several, spread out, stor- age locations for the ambulances. Not on- ly would their presence, lined up outside base, be too much of a target for the team, but also it is strategically unwise for them to be kept together, just in case they're hit, as we wouldn't want to lose a whole fleet in one fell swoop. When even the lights of the car have disappeared down the road we go back inside. No one went back to bed. We automatically went to the recep- tion area and sat together in the dark lis- tening to the rumble of the guns. Inside, it was absolutely silent. Eventually it was just me and one col- league, standing alone on the balcony with all the lights off. There are blackout rules here, every home has heavy silver paper on the windows to block light from overhead aircraft. In the dark, the stars are impossibly bright. We trace a satellite across the sky as the neighbourhood dogs bark in response to the booms. DIARY OF A VOLUNTEER Kyiv displays victory over their aggressors, displaying vehicles destroyed in the fight to reclaim the city High tech equipment allows MOAS ambulances to treat the most serious casualties of war Embracing like family: The MOAS teams finally meet Christina wearing the mandatory bullet proof vest, waiting to deploy on a MOAS ambulance