A Bermudian providing humanitarian aid in war-torn Ukraine has described hearing missiles explode only a few blocks away from him.

Jason Rhind, 36, moved to Ukraine in May with the US charitable organisation Task Force Yankee to help transport and deliver medical supplies. He has since left the organisation and has been teaching medical training to civilians as well as units from the Ukrainian Army and Territorial Defence Force.

His work has taken him from Kyiv, the capital in north-central Ukraine, to Mykolaiv, a city to the south; Odessa, a port city to the south; Izyum, a city to the east recently liberated by Ukraine forces; and Donetsk, an industrial city in eastern Ukraine, among other locations.

He said: “In July, I was in Odessa when Ukraine and Russia signed the grain deal [to allow grain exports to resume]. Russia launched missiles at Odessa’s shipyard, which was about a kilometre from where I was staying.

“That was pretty surreal and a little scary … I heard the anti-air defence missiles flying over the building I was in. At the time you don’t really know if they’re coming or going, enemy missiles or not. You don’t know where they’re going to hit.

“Almost every day I’ve been in Mykolaiv there have been missile attacks – some are far away, some a few blocks away. Sometimes it’s during the day but a lot of times it’s at night – sometimes as late as 2am or 3am. One night there were about 16, other nights one or two.

“The first time you hear an air raid alarm it’s very foreign and disconcerting but after a while you become desensitised to it – it becomes your new normal.

“I guess I rationalise it by thinking that the probability of a missile hitting the exact location where I am is pretty small and if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen – there’s not much I can really do about it.”

Mr Rhind said two missiles in a recent attack hit Shevchenko Boulevard, about five blocks from where he lives, at about 8.15am. He drives on the road every day and typically leaves home at about 8.20am.

He said the destruction in Izyum, where he provided medical training to military units shortly after it was liberated, was “extensive and severe”.

He said he was coping. “Some of the soldiers I’ve trained are dealing with a lot, you hear some truly horrendous and horrific stories,” he added.

Mr Rhind has been teaching medical classes at a military training school for close to two months, working directly with units from the Ukrainian Army.

Last week, he took on the role of lead instructor at the school teaching the Tactical Combat Casualty Care (Combat Lifesaver) Course. This covers various areas including massive bleeding, airway management, hypothermia, and head and eye injury. It also covers fractures and burns, including chemical burns.

”I’ve always thought about becoming an EMT/paramedic,“ he said. ”This is something I’ve thought about more recently. I guess it all depends on how things continue to play out. I have an opportunity to join an organisation which could lead to a lot of different opportunities.“

Soon after moving to Ukraine, Mr Rhind wanted to apply for a one-year residency to continue his work there but it is a complicated process.

Among various requirements is a letter of invitation from an organisation that’s registered with the Ministry of Social Policy. You also need to leave the country and go to an embassy/consulate, the closest being in Poland, typically two weeks before the maximum 90-day visit expires.

Mr Rhind said there were conflicting reports about foreigners overstaying their time, but in his favour he has an ID badge from a Ukrainian organisation listing him as a humanitarian worker.

He recalled: “When travelling to Mykolaiv, the vehicle I was in was stopped at a block post. The soldiers checked my ID and told me I had overstayed my allowed time. I explained what I’m doing in Ukraine and showed them photos of the training. They let me go and thanked me for helping their country.”

He would like to try to stay until the New Year.

He does not know of any other Bermudians working in Ukraine full time but said a Bermudian/Ukranian couple got married and as part of their honeymoon went there to do some volunteer work. He ended up driving them from Poland to Lviv in western Ukraine.

He said: “That was really nice, getting to see a fellow Bermudian. I had met with the Ukrainian woman before I left Bermuda to ask her some questions and find out information about the country.”

Mr Rhind added: “I’ve had one or two Bermudians ask me about volunteering in Ukraine and even about joining the foreign legion here. I shared as much information as I could with them and tried to be very blunt and realistic about what to expect … and if that’s something they were really sure they wanted to do.”