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A brave Derbyshire filmmaker has driven his grandmother's Ford Fiesta from Willington to war-torn Ukraine to show the realities of the conflict.

Reece Lynch has spent more than £6,000 of his own money to embark on his trek east and, after setting off three months ago, he has made it to the front line of the Ukrainian Conflict.

Also known as the War in Donbass, the fighting began in 2014 in the aftermath of the Ukrainian revolution between the separatist forces of the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR respectively), and the Ukrainian Government.

The fighting has been ongoing for the last five years and is currently understood to be at a stalemate.

The 27-year-old, who began his career making commercials, decided to make his way across the continent to film a documentary showing the reality of the war and bring it to national attention.

On February 19, he set off in his grandma's car, that was only driven twice a week, and made his way right to the front line.

(Image: Reece Lynch)

Speaking from an apartment in Mariupol, which is within the fierce fighting zone, he said: "Since I have been here, I have heard mortars going off, gun fire, I have even had to be evacuated from a village I visited.

"I wanted to get out here because this conflict is not being widely reported on and people just don't know the scale of what is going on or what is taking place.

"I wanted to show the people who are involved in this, I wanted to show exactly what is going on, what is taking place and how everyone has been affected by this war."

Mr Lynch set off for the Russian/Ukraine border more than 12 weeks ago with nothing but his equipment and his trusty Ford Fiesta.

Within days he had passed the Polish border and had made his way to Ukraine.

Despite five tyre punctures and his car not fairing well on the Eastern European roads, he made it to the front line.

Since then he has picked up a wealth of knowledge and experience about the conflict and has started creating his documentary on life out there.

(Image: Reece Lynch)

One of his overriding experiences is that of what it's like to be on the front line and the people who have welcomed him into their homes.

He said: "The thing that stands out for me is the determination of the people.

"Since I have got here, everyone has been so welcoming and friendly and I just couldn't get out of people's kitchens.

"People were so open and wanted to talk to me about what is going on.

"It has been fascinating listening to their stories of how things have changed over the years and how the war has developed.

(Image: Reece Lynch)

Mr Lynch described the area as a real "melting pot" of ideologies.

He described the feeling of the nation like France during the French Revolution.

He said: "We have England and we have had England for more than 2,000 years. People in Ukraine have not had that identity, they haven't been a country that long and they are excited to have that prospect of chasing their own future. They want to build their nation."

"When the conflict first started, many people left the area, but as the war has wore on, people have returned as they try to get on with their lives.

(Image: Reece Lynch)

"You hear gunfire and mortars going off at different times and yet you see teenagers going to school, going to college just as people would do in Derby and it is all to backdrop of everything that is taking place.

"People are getting on with their lives, doing normal things and again it shows that resilience."

Mr Lynch has been to Shyrokyne (a completely damaged cultural symbolic village, which was recently retaken by UAF forces) Lebedynske, Vodyane (also heavily damaged, prone to mortar fire and still has civilians living there), Talakivka and Kramatorsk.

He says between each city and town are trenches which he has also visited as part of his documentary.

(Image: Reece Lynch)

There are some trenches that he is not allowed to know the locations of.

"The eeriest part is when you come out of the city", he said.

"You hear the gun fire and the mortars from the city, but you feel safe. It is not until you head away from the streets and on the open roads where things changed.

"It is silent as you drive along and then you see the signs of "do not enter" or "warnings" and the closer you get to the front line the more tension builds.

(Image: Reece Lynch)

"On the front line you can see the different flags, each front is so close and when the firing starts the soldiers rush to their positions.

"They are so passionate though. They are out there for six months at at a time.

"I am told to get in my 'hidey-hole' when it all starts. I have been capturing some amazing footage."

Mr Lynch is hoping to stay out there for another three months to complete his documentary and tie up everything that has been going on.

(Image: Reece Lynch)

He said: "Now President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has come to power, I want to see what happens next.

"I have spent so much of my own money so far and I have nothing left, that's why I have started Crowd Funding so I can stay out here a bit longer and show the next stage.

"The money is not for me, it not my wages it is to pay for the my driver, my interpreters, even security as I just want to show the world just what is happening here."

Staff at the Foreign Officer have issued warnings to British citizens regarding travelling to Ukraine.

(Image: Reece Lynch)

On their website they wrote: "The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel to Donetsk oblast, Luhansk oblast and Crimea.

"The security situation in the south-eastern parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine remains highly unstable with ongoing clashes between Ukrainian armed forces and Russian-backed armed separatists.

"It’s illegal under Ukrainian law to enter internationally recognised Ukrainian territory through a border point that isn’t currently controlled by the Ukrainian authorities.

(Image: Reece Lynch)

"If you do so, you risk arrest or a fine, and you may be subject to a travel ban.

To help Mr Lynch continue his documentary making visit his crowdfunding page at http://bit.ly/UKraineDoc or visit https://www.facebook.com/1036144589892252/videos/370263566928727/