National solidarity effort for Ukraine: donations of equipment and emergency vehicles (22 March 2022)

The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior welcome the surge of solidarity towards the Ukrainian people shown by departmental fire and rescue services from all over France.

Thanks to this exceptional mobilization, on 23 March a convoy organized by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior will dispatch to Romania response vehicles and equipment, which will be provided to Ukraine’s Emergency Situations Service, mobilized day and night to provide relief to victims.

On 23 March, 100 fire and rescue personnel will dispatch to the border with Ukraine the vehicles and equipment being provided: 11 fire engines, 16 rescue vehicles, and 23 lorries transporting 49 tonnes of health and emergency equipment (protective gear, extending ladders, fire hoses, medical equipment etc.).

The operation is being coordinated by the Ministry of the Interior’s General Directorate for Civil Security and Crisis Management and the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs’ Crisis and Support Centre.

A convoy of 21 new ambulances which left on 22 March completes the donation. They were bought with contributions from local authorities and businesses, paid into the dedicated support funds managed by the Crisis and Support Centre.

The operations, carried out under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), demonstrate the solidarity of France, its local authorities and its businesses with the Ukrainian people.