On Monday 22 June, outside the Ukrainian Embassy in France, we had the honour and pleasure of officially receiving the keys to an ambulance that will soon be sent to Ukraine.

This vehicle was donated by the Nièvre Departmental Fire and Rescue Service thanks to the unwavering commitment of Senator Nadia Sollogoub, chair of the Senate’s France–Ukraine Friendship Group and of the Fraternité Nièvre-Ukraine association, and Frédéric Lajeunesse, whom we would like to thank warmly for their trust and support.

The handover of the keys took place in the presence of His Excellency Vadym Omelchenko, Ukraine’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to France, accompanied by several members of the Embassy and our partners involved in this wonderful charitable initiative.

This ambulance will be handed over to the Ukrainian NGO Union of Help to Kherson (biz.ks.ua), which will receive it in Kherson and coordinate its use on the ground for evacuation and relief missions to assist the civilian population and the armed forces. We were delighted to welcome its founder, Kate Zhuzha, to Paris; we have been working with her since 2022.

We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our friends at the Clermont-Ferrand-based NGO Agir Ensemble pour l’Ukraine (aepu.eu), who spontaneously offered to take care of all the logistics involved in transporting the vehicle to Ukraine. Without their help, this project would have been impossible for us.

This initiative perfectly illustrates what makes the solidarity movement with Ukraine so strong: a chain of commitment made up of citizens, firefighters, elected representatives, volunteers and grassroots organisations who are joining forces to take practical action where the need is greatest.

We are proud to be part of this grassroots movement. Together, we each do our bit. Together, we are more effective in supporting the Ukrainian people.

Thank you to everyone who makes these projects possible.