SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – A delegation from Utah lead by Senate President Stuart Adams (R), Layton, recently went on a mission to the war-torn country of Ukraine.

“I left with 29 other really brave people, and the effort was three-fold. One, is to actually do humanitarian aid. We have people like August Mission and To Ukraine with Love giving people food and assistance. And, actually building homes for those that had their home blown up by bombs. We also wanted to help with economic development,” said Adams.

It wasn’t originally on the agenda, but the trip also included a meeting with the president of Ukraine.

“It was phenomenal. He is exactly what you think he is. The spirit of the Ukrainian people — he exemplifies that. The same spirit I think we felt during 9/11. That solidarity of wanting to push back against an unwanted invasion,” he said.

Adams and others also got a look at what is happening in the country firsthand.

“We saw areas where the Russians came in and invaded. They shot men, women and children in their cars, in their homes. We saw areas where they actually excavated the ground, and wanted to hide what they had done. Dumped these men, women and children into these mass graves. They don’t even know who some of them are after they tried to excavate the graves,” he said.

Images he will never forget.

“I’ve read about World War II, the holocaust and what was going on in Germany and it concerned me that maybe the world isn’t paying attention.” Adams said.