Serbia will donate €8.4 million worth of generators and transformers to Ukraine as humanitarian aid, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in an interview with Serbian TV channel Prva TV.
“We have collected generators and transformers worth 8.4 million euros for Ukraine,” the president said.
According to him, the new Serbian ambassador to Ukraine will hand over this aid.
Earlier, the Serbian government provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine in connection with the disaster in Kherson region that occurred after the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant.
The Crisis and Support Center (CDCS) of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has handed over 28 generators to a school in Chernihiv, Ambassador of the French Republic to Ukraine Gael Weissier said after a visit to Chernihiv.
“A new trip to Chernihiv, a priority region, where, together with the head of the regional state administration and Expertise France, we signed agreements with three hospitals, inspected the repair of the roof of the theater that was hit on 19/08/23, and handed over assistance from the Centre de Crise et de Soutien in the form of 28 generators to be used in a local school,” the ambassador wrote on social network X.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, with financial support from the German government, will distribute 17 generators with a capacity of 27 to 88 kW to food producers and processors, the FAO press service reports.
“It is necessary that enterprises can continue production and provide the population with fresh food even during power outages,” the statement said.
According to the report, by the end of 2024, an additional 131 generators will be distributed to enterprises located in close proximity to the front line to increase the self-sufficiency and sustainability of national producers.
As reported, under this initiative, FAO has already handed over 97 generators to small and medium-sized enterprises from Sumy, Chernihiv, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Odesa and Kherson regions.
The Swedish government has decided that Sweden’s electricity transmission system operator Svenska kraftnät can provide Ukraine with backup generators to maintain the country’s power supply.
According to the Swedish government’s website, the transfer includes 13 standby diesel generators that were due to be replaced in 2024, according to Svenska kraftnät’s maintenance plan. Instead of being disposed of or stored in a spare parts warehouse, the backup generators will be donated to Ukraine and used there. Regularly checking for surplus material during maintenance and reinvesting is a sustainable way to support Ukraine.
“Sweden will continue to support Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes. Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy supply have been very large-scale, and the upcoming winter will be difficult. The transfer of 13 backup diesel power generators from Svenska kraftnät will make a difference. For example, they will be able to provide electricity to a hospital or be used in the power supply system itself to more effectively eliminate interruptions,” said Minister of Energy, Business and Industry Abba Bush.
Minister of International Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johann Forssell noted that today’s announcement is another step in the government’s priorities to support Ukraine.
“This is a concrete example of how Swedish support will help to restore the energy infrastructure that is in a difficult situation and heat Ukrainian homes this winter,” he said.
As reported, in May 2024, Sweden decided on a new energy package for Ukraine worth SEK 650 million. This support consists of SEK 500 million to the Energy Community’s Energy Support Fund for Ukraine and SEK 150 million through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
In 2023, Ukraine significantly increased the number of backup power sources required to ensure autonomous operation of electronic communication equipment for at least three days in the absence of external power supply.
This is stated in the report of the National Commission for the State Regulation of Electronic Communications, Radio Frequency Spectrum and Postal Services (NCCS), released on Thursday.
In 2023, the availability of generators for Kyivstar, VF Ukraine, Lifecell, Ukrtelecom, Datagroup increased by 43% compared to 2022, to 6,049 thousand units. The availability of batteries increased by 34% to 385.55 thousand units, the report says.
The number of addresses/points provided with autonomous power supply (generators) at the expense of third parties, where the relevant network equipment is located, based on the results of telecom operators’ work with local governments and enterprises, institutions, organizations, business centers, shopping and entertainment centers, increased to 2 thousand, which is 1.25 thousand more than at the beginning of 2023.
In addition, network operators, with the assistance of socially active private sector participants, have created networks of public Wi-Fi zones in many cities of Ukraine, allowing citizens to have open access to the Internet.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock said that Germany will send a EUR6.1 million humanitarian aid package to Ukraine, which includes generators and batteries, the German Foreign Ministry’s press service reports.
“With the winter protective umbrella that we are stretching over Ukraine, we are helping the population to survive the cold season. Not only in the form of air defense systems, but also generators, blankets, tents and batteries. Together with the German Federal Agency for Technical Assistance (THW), we are sending additional cargoes this winter for a total of EUR 6.1 million,” the press service quoted Burbock as saying in a statement published on the Foreign Ministry’s website on Friday.
At the same time, German Interior Minister Nancy Feser noted that another 500 power generators worth about EUR3.5 million would be transferred to Ukraine.
“THW is currently preparing to transport more than 500 additional power generators worth about EUR 3.5 million and has already delivered some of them to Ukraine. The goal is to help cities and towns, especially in areas close to the front line. To support Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, THW has already purchased more than 1,300 powerful power generators (up to 1,250 kVA) and 20 batteries,” Feather said.
She noted that more than 800 power generators and 15 storage batteries have already been delivered to Ukraine, which are used at Ukrainian thermal power plants, pumping stations, large bakeries and hospitals, as well as for decentralized supply to the population.
Preparations are also underway to transport more than 900 heaters, 1,700 winter sleeping bags, winter clothing and a mobile field kitchen to Ukraine. In addition, two drinking water treatment plants will be transferred to the State Water Resources Administration in the near future to provide clean water to the population.
