Ukraine Sends Firefighters to Help France Battle Wildfires

Ukraine has dispatched a team of emergency responders to France to assist authorities in battling wildfires, Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi announced on Friday, July 31. According to Vyhivskyi, the deployment was ordered by President Volodymyr Zelensky and carried out under the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The Ukrainian contingent includes 70 firefighters and rescuers and 15 specialized emergency vehicles. Ukraine offers additional assistance Vyhivskyi said he discussed the deployment during a video call with French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, with the two officials coordinating the Ukrainian team’s work in France. He added that Ukraine is prepared to send State Emergency Service aircraft if French authorities require additional support in fighting the blazes. “I thank the French Interior Minister for his high assessment of the work of Ukraine’s Interior Ministry units and for his willingness to strengthen cooperation between our ministries,” Vyhivskyi said. Experience gained during wartime Vyhivskyi said Ukrainian emergency responders have gained extensive experience operating under extreme conditions while responding to Russia’s full-scale invasion. He noted that rescue teams regularly extinguish large-scale fires caused by Russian attacks, conduct search-and-rescue operations, and work in areas exposed to ongoing security threats. Despite facing daily Russian strikes, Ukraine remains ready to assist partners during emergencies, he added. Other Topics of Interest US, French Intelligence Helps Ukraine Plan Deep Strikes on Russia Ukrainian officials said intelligence provided by the US and France has helped map Russian air-defense deployments and identify routes for drones to reach targets deep inside Russia. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.