Solutions to win: Odesa volunteers construct mobile bathhouse for frontline troops

Photo: Ukrinform

Nina Voronets

In Odesa, the NGO "Workshop of Invincibility," volunteers converted an old bus into a mobile bathhouse and handed it over to the military on the eastern front.

Ukrinform reported that.

What is the problem?

At present, there is a critical need for hygiene among the troops. The combination of rain, mud, and cold weather makes it difficult for soldiers to clean themselves properly. As a result, when returning from combat missions, they have no means to wash their clothes, which can lead to skin infections.

"Personal hygiene is very important, so there is a great need for such baths. Also, the boys freeze their feet in the trenches; it is necessary to warm up somewhere so as not to lead to the amputation of fingers or even limbs," said Valeriy, the driver of one of the units.

^{Photo: Ukrinform}

What is the solution?

This is already the third bath that the volunteers have handed over to the front. In the "Workshop" boxes, work has already begun on producing the fourth and fifth baths. They plan to complete them within a month.

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Military buggies are also produced in the "Workshop of Invincibility." Some vehicles transport soldiers and ammunition, while others transform into combat-ready units for mobile air defense teams. The military recently shot down an enemy drone with a buggy nicknamed "Tsunami."

"Our work was not in vain. The guys thanked us for the combat vehicle and gave us such a sign of respect," Hryniuk said.

How does it work?

Masters made a bathhouse in 2 weeks "from scratch." The volunteers used an old VAZ bus as a basis, which is no longer suitable for transporting passengers. It had a washing machine, three showers, and a bathhouse. The invention cost the volunteers $3,000. They bought a bus for 1,000; the rest went to its improvement and equipment.

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"The bus was in bad shape. Then the brakes disappeared, then something else. We repaired everything and installed an additional tank with gasoline because gas can not always be found for refueling. We made a bath in the shortest possible time because it is needed at the front. Three masters worked on it – there were days when they slept only 3 hours a day. In the end, we made the bathhouse in 2 weeks," said Oleksandr Hryniuk, the head of "The Workshop of Invincibility."

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There is a bathhouse heated by a wood-burning stove. It reaches a temperature of 100 degrees in approximately one hour. There is a 400-liter tank for water. It can accommodate up to 10 people at once for steaming and taking hot showers.

Currently, the "Workshop of Invincibility" is short-staffed, so, according to Hryniuk, volunteers are welcome to join their team and work to support the front.

Photo:Ukrinform

Photo:Ukrinform