Ukraine unveils new Brit-made secret weapon in its war on Russia – disposable vapes

 Ukraine has a new Brit-made secret weapon in its war on Russia – disposable vapes. They are being repurposed to power drones on the front line.

Volunteers at Leeds Ukrainian Community Association are recycling components such as batteries and wires from discarded vapes. They are then sent to Ukraine to be turned into energy sources for soldiers in remote locations.

The recycled components are used to power drones, phones and night vision tech in the trenches. Association trustee Viacheslav Semeniuk, whose daughter’s godfather was killed in the conflict, said the repurposed vapes were also used ‘as a light source and in cooking’, adding: “This is sometimes the only source of power.”

A ban on the sale of single-use vapes was introduced in the UK earlier this year to address environmental concerns and protect children's health. It was estimated 8.2m were being thrown away every week prior to the ban.

Viacheslav, 42, said: “It is a creative way to use these vapes. We crack open the vape and pull out the battery, isolate the wires, and pack them into boxes. Usually it is just two or three people doing this.

“I have spent hours sitting at home with my daughter cracking the vapes and pulling out the batteries. If we can utilise whatever is not needed any more and make it for free, why not? We are not stopping. We will keep going.”

Volunteers in Ukraine turn the dismantled disposables into working energy supplies for soldiers. Viacheslav, who has lived in the UK for more than a decade, said it had been hard to watch the war unfold from his adopted Yorkshire home.

He said: “I feel some kind of guilt that I am not there fighting on the front line. But I cannot leave my family here.

“My daughter's godfather died fighting last year. He was my best friend from kindergarten so it is really difficult being here. That is why I do what I do.”

The association he works for supports ex-pats living in and around Leeds promoting the Ukrainian language, culture and heritage. He said the scale of their work has ‘increased massively’ since the Russian invasion in 2022.

As well as donating clothing and essentials to those fleeing the conflict the charity has hosted concerts, barbecues and Ukrainian film screenings to raise funds for the war effort. “We are here for refugees - whether they need help, or want to talk,” Viacheslav told the BBC.

“At the start of the war we were focused on helping Ukrainians abroad and in Leeds. But now most of our efforts go towards supporting those in the country."