In eastern Ukraine, a tragedy unfolded when an NGO convoy was struck around 10 in the morning near the Bakhmut region. Emma Same, a 32-year-old director for Path to Help, was among the casualties as the vehicle came under fire while the team was moving through the area to assess civilian needs in the crossfire zones. The group had set out from Chasiv Yar toward Ivanivske, a frontline village, to coordinate relief efforts and ensure aid reached vulnerable residents amid ongoing hostilities. The vehicle was hit directly, overturned, and caught fire, according to statements from Path to Help shared on social media.
Inside the vehicle were several volunteers representing different countries: German medical volunteer Rubén Mawick, Swedish volunteer Johan Mathias Thyr, Canadian volunteer Anthony Tonko Ihnat, and Spanish volunteer Emma Igual, who directed Path to Help. Rubén and Johan sustained serious shrapnel injuries and burns and were transported to separate hospitals for treatment away from the scene. Tonko Ihnat died in the incident, and Emma Igual was also confirmed dead.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, speaking from New Delhi at the G-20 summit, indicated that there was verbal confirmation of the incident in the Bajmut region on that Saturday. He noted that the vehicle had been struck by a shell but did not specify which party fired it. Road to Relief, the NGO involved, described Ivanivske as a battlefield with intense crossfire between opposing forces.
Emma A. Same, originally from Barcelona, had a long history in humanitarian work dating back to 2009, as outlined in her LinkedIn profile. She described herself as a humanitarian officer with extensive experience in refugee camps and informal settlements and a specialist in Child Protection in Emergencies CPiE, along with Refugee/IDP support. Her career included collaborations with several NGOs in Greece, Myanmar, Kenya, and Morocco, among other locations. She had previously worked as a research assistant at various universities and with United Nations agencies for over five years, contributing to academic articles across multiple journals. News about Path to Help and its co-founders had been covered by multiple Spanish and Ukrainian media outlets.
Road to Help: Help Us, Help Ukraine
Road to Help is a registered humanitarian NGO operating in Ukraine since March 2022 to assist civilians affected by the Russian occupation. Its work centers on the Donetsk and Kherson provinces, serving more than 30,000 residents across 112 villages. The organization began on the front lines with civilian evacuation missions and has since expanded its programs to additional regions as needs evolved.
The evacuation team is composed of experienced volunteers who routinely collect displaced people from homes and transport them to temporary shelters in places like Kramatorsk for the first night. The following day, evacuees are guided to the Pokrovsk railway station, from which they can travel to locations across Ukraine or onward into Europe for safety and resettlement.