Ukraine is living through the second winter of the illegal Russian war of aggression. Attacks continue to target civilian infrastructure such as the energy supply. The German Government is therefore continuing its comprehensive support for Ukrainian civil protection, with the help, in particular, of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW). Deliveries of assistance are coordinated with the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance and are predominantly financed via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and by the Federal Foreign Office.

Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser said, “Now, in the face of another severe winter, we still stand by the people of Ukraine, for whom Putin’s inhumane war continues to cause incredible suffering. We want to continue providing help where it is most urgently needed. This is a humanitarian imperative. We have brought more than 400 transports of aid to Ukraine. This is the biggest logistical operation in the history of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW). I am sincerely grateful to the many volunteers who have contributed to this effort.

We provide support for the Ukrainian fire service, the emergency medical services and civil protection. We will now deliver another 500 generators as well as heaters, tents and portable cabins. This will help Ukraine to continue withstanding the massive attacks on its energy infrastructure and to provide shelter to people in need.”

Shipment of additional generators is being prepared

The Federal Agency for Technical Relief is currently preparing the transport of more than 500 additional power generators with a total value of around 3.5 million euro, and has already delivered a number of them to Ukraine. The aim is to help the towns and villages in areas near the front in particular. As part of its efforts to support Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, the Federal Agency for Technical Relief has already provided more than 1300 powerful generators (up to 1250 kVa) and 20 battery storage units. More than 800 generators and 15 battery storage units have been handed over to a range of partners in Ukraine. They are being used in combined heat-power plants and pumping stations as well as in industrial bakeries and hospitals, and to provide a decentralised power supply for local residents. 

The Federal Agency for Technical Relief is also delivering heaters, camp beds, tents and portable cabins. Over 900 more heaters, 1700 winter sleeping bags, winter clothing and a mobile field kitchen are currently being prepared for transport. Meanwhile, two water purification units will soon be handed over to the national water authority so that people can be provided with clean water. 

More than 400 transports organised so far by the BBK and the THW

The Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) has been coordinating requests for assistance via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism since the spring of 2022. The two federal agencies organise the transport of relief goods using their own vehicles or via EU intermediaries. To date, 415 deliveries of goods with a total value of over 250 million euro have arrived in Ukraine.

The Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) has provided particular support in the form of equipment and materials for the Ukrainian civil protection agency, which is also responsible for firefighting and emergency medical services. Over 120 vehicles such as fire engines, turntable ladders and tipper lorries as well as building equipment such as excavators have been delivered.

The Federal Agency for Technical Relief also works with other partners such as the national water authority, the Ukrainian border force and regional waterworks. It additionally has direct relationships with Ukrainian partners in areas near the front around Mykolaiv, Kherson, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Sumy. Vehicles, building equipment and tools to repair destroyed infrastructure have been delivered there. 

Ukrainian patients receive treatment in Germany

Germany also supports the Ukrainian health system by taking in patients from Ukraine. This scheme, including transportation of patients to Germany, is coordinated by the German Joint Information and Situation Centre at the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance within the framework of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Patients are distributed to participating hospitals in Germany in close coordination with the Länder, taking into account individual treatment needs. In addition, as part of a project of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), aid organisations working on behalf of the Federal Ministry of the Interior provide social services and, if needed, medical transport to return to Ukraine for these patients. To date, 944 patients from Ukraine have received medical care in Germany as part of this distribution system, and 101 return transports have taken place.