Ten Swiss firefighting trucks donated to Ukraine

Vaud: ten fire engines planned for Ukraine Keystone-SDA

On Thursday, fire insurance authority of the Swiss canton of Vaud (ECA) handed over ten fire and rescue vehicles to Ukraine. The first truck set off symbolically for the war-torn country at the end of April.

This gesture of humanitarian aid and solidarity was made to a Ukrainian delegation present at the ECA’s administrative headquarters in Lausanne during an official ceremony. “In these difficult times, we all have a role to play in supporting your fight for freedom,” said Serge Depallens, Chief Executive Officer of ECA.

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The Ukrainian delegation included the Ukrainian ambassador to Switzerland, Irina Venediktova, and Andrei Iatsenia, director of the NGO Risk Reduction Foundation, which was responsible for transporting the vehicles. Parliamentarian Laurent Wehrli was also present. Wehrli, who is also president of the Swiss Fire Brigades Federation, drew a link between Ukraine’s needs and the resources available.

The ten vehicles in question have recently been replaced by more recent models. Most of them are around twenty years old and still in good working condition, the ECA points out in a press release. “They are therefore being offered on a humanitarian basis,” it added. The vehicles in question are five 6,000-litre fire engines, two 3,000-litre fire engines, two general-purpose vehicles and a fire engine trailer.

The shipment will be made in stages. A first convoy by semi-trailer left during the week of April 28. The rest will be organised according to the resources raised by the partner NGO to finance the transport. The route through Germany and Poland is managed entirely by the Risk Reduction Foundation. The vehicles donated are to be sent to two relief organisations in Ukraine.

Adapted from French by DeepL/ac

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