In addition to the military and financial assistance provided by the German government to the Ukrainian army and the state, Ukrainian cities, organisations, and civilians are also being supported with enormous amounts of humanitarian goods during this brutal Russian war of aggression.
One reason for this are not only the very active civilian-led organisations in Germany, but also the German-Ukrainian city partnerships, of which a whopping 187 have already been concluded in back in November 2023!
Cities from all over Germany, often with the support of local associations, regularly support their twin cities, which are spread throughout Ukraine. In this article, I would like to shed some light on the latest humanitarian deliveries, which often do not receive the attention they deserve.
Ambulances from Düsseldorf for Chernivtsi
Last week, the city of Düsseldorf announced the delivery of two ambulances to the western Ukrainian city of Chernivtsi. Both cities have a long history of friendship, which was formalised as a city partnership in March 2022, shortly after Russia started the full-scale invasion.
The fully functional but decommissioned ambulances of the Düsseldorf fire brigade were jointly bid farewell by the Mayor of Düsseldorf, Dr. Stephan Keller, and the Consul General of Ukraine in Düsseldorf, Iryna Shum.
Rescue workers in Ukraine are regularly targeted by Russian forces, and vehicles are sometimes systematically attacked during rescue missions by drone-dropped explosives or FPV drones, with rescue workers unfortunately also losing their lives while trying to save the lives of innocent civilians.
Image: State capital Düsseldorf/Ingo Lammert
Image: State capital Düsseldorf/Ingo LammertThe delivery of two additional and, above all, relatively modern ambulances is therefore likely to have been met with excitement in Chernivtsi.
The delivery itself is being coordinated by the German-Ukrainian association Blau-Gelbes Kreuz e.V., while the Düsseldorf aid initiatives UAcare, Ukraine-Helfer e.V. and We are Europe are transferring six additional ambulances to Ukraine with the support of Malteser Düsseldorf. A total of 13 ambulances have been or will be delivered to Ukraine.
Vans from Leipzig for Kyiv
Further assistance is also coming from the East German city of Leipzig. Last Thursday, various vans were sent on their way to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, which has been an official twin city of Leipzig since 1961.
The vehicles, of which a total of 55 are to be delivered to Kyiv, originate from Deutsche Post stocks — a German mail and parcel service — and are therefore capable of carrying increased loads.
Once in Ukraine, the vehicles are distributed to various city districts where they are used to transporting water, food, medicines and other materials, as well as to evacuate injured or sick civilians.
Image: City of LeipzigAccording to the city of Leipzig, the cost of the deliveries to Ukraine amounts to around €306,000. The German media TAG24 reported in addition to the information provided by the city that all trucks were filled with important supplies for the civilian population, such as water, food, and medicines.
Leipzig — as far as I can tell based on my project — is one of the best examples of well-founded, ongoing and strong support for a Ukrainian twin city during the war. For example, the city has already donated dozens of modern fire fighting vehicles or Tatra vehicles in the past, which I often covered on my social media accounts.
15 tonnes of humanitarian aid from Singen for Kobeliaky
Also on Thursday, a large transport from the city of Singen set off on the 2,400 kilometre long journey to the central Ukrainian twin city of Kobeliaky.
A total of 15 tonnes of humanitarian supplies were sent on their way this time thanks to the generosity of the local population. The deliveries include medicines such as insulin ampoules and medical supplies such as catheters worth around €40,000.
The transport also supports the school located in Kobeliaky. Desks and chairs, as well as ten used laptops, are on board to help the school and its students. Various equipment such as protective gloves, safety helmets and ladders will support the fire brigade in the Ukrainian twin city.
In its press release, the city of Singen also announced that another transport will be on its way this autumn. With the support of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, a nine-seater transport vehicle and possibly a small pitch are to be organised and donated.
As I said in the beginning, these are just the latest examples of a strong and steady flow of humanitarian aid from German cities to their Ukrainian twin cities. Often, these donations which are getting supported by many local associations neither get the coverage nor the credit they deserve.
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