France will send rescue, de-mining, and protective equipment, as well as fire engines and emergency bridges, to Ukraine through the "Ship for Ukraine" humanitarian operation.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced this in a statement, the CFTS portal reports, citing the Interfax Ukraine news agency.
"In response to the urgent need expressed by the Ukrainian authorities, over 1,000 tons of humanitarian relief will be shipped to the port of Constanța, Romania, made up of contributions from the public and private sectors. They include civil security equipment: 15 fire and rescue vehicles adapted to Ukrainian standards, including 5 used vehicles donated by our fire and rescue services and 10 new vehicles; 8 semi-rigid inflatable boats; and 19 tons of equipment (rescue, clearance and protective equipment)," the ministry said in the statement on its website on Wednesday.
France is also providing medical assistance: 25 tons of emergency and resuscitation drugs, including 14 tons donated by the Tulipe association and its affiliated healthcare companies; and a medical vehicle equipped with mobile X-ray equipment making it possible to perform examinations in the field.
It is also providing food aid consisting of 60,000 food rations (two meals per ration), 48 tons of prepared meals, and 13 tons of milk; as well as emergency repair equipment consisting of 5 emergency generators, construction equipment, and tarpaulins.
France is also donating emergency bridges (measuring over 200 meters) to be used to repair Ukrainian civilian infrastructure quickly: 3 prefab Bailey bridges acquired from the French public agency, Cerema, and 3 modular steel bridges purchased from the French company Matière (one of these will be transported from France by road).
After arriving in Constanta, the cargo will be transported to the humanitarian hub in Suceava (Romania).
According to the French Foreign Ministry, the donation will be handed over to the Ukrainian State Emergency Service, the Ministry of Health, the regions and cities of Chernihiv and Kharkiv, and the municipalities of Odesa and Stryi.
“In line with the commitments that France undertook at the Lugano Conference, the reconstruction effort will focus on the Chernihiv region, based on the patronage mechanism proposed by President [Volodymyr] Zelensky,” the ministry said in the statement.
According to the statement, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna was scheduled to travel to Marseille on 28 September to attend the launch of the “Ship for Ukraine” Operation.
