Ukraine – Solidarity operation following the destruction of the Kakhovka dam (15 June 2023)

In response to the needs expressed by President Zelenskyy and at President Macron’s request, Mme Catherine Colonna, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, has tasked the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs’ Crisis and Support Centre with continuing its solidarity operations as soon as possible to help the Ukrainian people who have been displaced and directly affected by the flooding caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam.

After sending an initial emergency shipment of around 10 tonnes of equipment on 9 June 2023, further convoys left France yesterday and today.

This new humanitarian shipment includes in particular:

• 500,000 water purification tablets, 40 water-storage tanks (holding 1,000 to 8,000 litres), 405 water purifiers, 200 motor pumps including 100 floating motor pumps, 20 inflatable motorboats, 520 waterproof overalls and 2,000 hygiene kits provided by the Crisis and Support Centre;

• nearly 100 waterproof overalls, 10 motor pumps including one very high capacity (600 m3/h), more than 70 life jackets, 5 inflatable boats and 14 metal-hulled boats provided by several fire and rescue services;

• 6 generators with a total power of 250kVA from the NGO Electriciens sans frontières, providing power to nearly 45 homes and 2 collective centres.

Some of this equipment will be delivered on 16 June, in conjunction with the French Embassy in Ukraine, to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU) and Ukraine’s Ministry of Health.

Moreover, 5 mobile water-treatment plants, each able to treat up to 40,000 litres of drinking water a day and 6 water-storage bladders (10m3) will be provided by the Veolia Foundation to the NGO Solidarités international.

These operations illustrate the ongoing commitment of the State, local authorities and civil society since 24 February 2022 in support of the Ukrainian people. They are supported by the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.