The total amount of pledges to help Ukraine with humanitarian demining, confirmed on Wednesday by participants of the first such special high-level international donor conference in Zagreb, is almost EUR0.5 billion, said Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović.
“The 34 participating states expressed their clear political support for Ukraine in the field of mine action and maintained their political commitments… The total amount of these contributions is almost EUR0.5 billion,” he said at a briefing after the first day of the conference.
According to him, additional contributions have been and will be made in the form of equipment, materials and expert assistance.
“Some countries have also made commitments that will be implemented in cooperation with international organizations, such as the United Nations Development Program,” Bozhynovych added.
He emphasized that the conference made it clear that Ukraine’s partners will join forces and act together at the national, European and international levels to identify as soon as possible the threats to the status quo posed by mines and explosive remnants of war.
“We emphasize the importance of using the most modern technologies, knowledge and experience, fully realizing that this is vital for the safety of Ukrainian citizens, as well as for the economic, social, environmental and all other aspects of post-war recovery and development of Ukraine,” said the Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Croatian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
He reminded that the EU Council is currently discussing a 4-year EUR 50 billion Ukraine Facility program to help Ukraine, and once approved, it will be very important to allocate part of these funds for demining.
“We hope that the conference that took place today confirmed these expectations and that it will be properly reflected in the upcoming rounds of negotiations in the Council and approved by the European Commission,” added Bozhynovych.
He also welcomed Switzerland’s announcement to organize, as a follow-up to the Zagreb event, the next international donor conference on humanitarian demining in Ukraine next October in Geneva.
On Thursday, the second day of the conference, there will be an expert discussion of detailed demining measures and activities in Ukraine.
According to a study conducted by the World Bank, the Ukrainian government, the European Commission and the UN, the cost of humanitarian demining in the year after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion was estimated at over EUR34 billion out of the total cost of reconstruction and recovery of EUR383 billion. At the same time, the full extent of the contamination remains unclear due to the ongoing hostilities and occupation of the territory.
In the spring, the Ukrainian government estimated the priority funding needs for humanitarian demining this year at $400 million.
The Italian government will help reconstruct the Transfiguration Cathedral, which the Russians destroyed during the shelling of Odesa on July 23, the Italian government said.
“Italian restoration schools, meaning university departments, vocational institutes, studios and laboratories, are today making their traditional expertise available to a project to restore and enhance the walls and frescoes that were hit by the Russian bombs, thereby marking an age-old friendship between two peoples and an effective rebirth for the city,” according to the report on the Italian government’s website.
“The Italian government has involved two of Italy’s most authoritative cultural institutions, the Milan Triennale and the MAXXI museum in Rome, in order to gather the best economic, technical and cultural resources able to contribute to the restoration of the Transfiguration Cathedral,” the report says.
First Lady of Ukraine Elena Zelenskaya, during her visit to Israel, asked for help from local epidemiologists to overcome the consequences of the Kakhovka reservoir explosion, the press service of the President of Ukraine reported on Tuesday evening.
“Asked for help from Israeli epidemiologists in overcoming the consequences of the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, which threatens the entire country ecological disaster,” the agency quotes Zelenskaya.
In addition, the first lady met with the wife of the Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Sarah Netanyahu, they discussed the experience of Israel in creating and using the system of early warning of the air threat, which allows more accurate information to citizens about the danger.
The parties did not ignore the topic of children affected by the war: both psychologically and physically. It is noted that Zelenskaya and Netanyahu discussed ways to rehabilitate them.
The Lithuanian government may help Ukraine export up to 1 million tons of grain by rail after Poland temporarily banned grain imports from Ukraine, said Lithuanian Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrini Armonaitė.
“The port of Klaipeda and Lithuanian Railways can play an important role in creating momentum to help Poland resolve the situation and guarantee grain exports outside the EU. Lithuania could help safely transport up to 1 million tons of grain from Ukraine by rail. This would be a real solution for Ukraine and a benefit for Poland,” Verslo zinios quoted the minister as saying.
In turn, the president of the Association of Lithuanian Sea Cargo Companies Vaidotas Shileyko noted that the port of Klaipeda is able to process more than 1 million tons of grain a year, but because of the difficult logistics, it is impossible to import more.
“Lithuanian railroads started transporting small volumes of Ukrainian grain through Poland to the port of Klaipeda last May. The main problem here is different railway gauges: Ukraine and Lithuania still use Russian gauges, while Poland uses European ones, which means that rolling stock has to be changed at the border,” he explained.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, following the results of the Spring Meetings in Washington (the United States), announced that Ukraine would receive additional support of more than $5 billion from France, Germany, and the UK.
“Following the results of negotiations with the finance ministers of the G7 countries at the Spring Meetings, we received assurances of additional support of more than $5 billion for Ukraine. In particular, we agreed on additional support packages with France, Germany, and the UK,” Shmyhal told reporters at a briefing in Washington.
According to him, Switzerland will also provide Ukraine with CHF 1.8 billion over the next six years. And Denmark, in turn, creates a special fund and plans to fill it with EUR 1 billion.
In addition, Spain, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Latvia, Iceland, and the Netherlands will provide additional support to Ukraine.
“All this will help win and ensure the resilience of our economy,” the Ukrainian prime minister said.
As reported, Shmyhal met with the finance ministers of the UK, Germany, and France on the sidelines of the Spring Meetings in Washington. At the meeting, the head of government raised issues of financial support for Ukraine and interaction within the Multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform.
Germany will provide more than EUR 3 billion in additional funding this year and more than EUR 5 billion in long-term defense support.
France also plans to provide EUR 2 billion as part of long-term financing.
The capital’s museums that suffered from rocket fire are closed until approximately October 16, the liquidation of the consequences is underway, and fundraising for restoration work has been announced.
The Khanenko Museum, in particular, reported that the team was not injured, the collection has been safe since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“The work on assessing the damage is ongoing. You probably saw in numerous photos and videos from the scene that the windows of the museum were damaged. We have already blocked them and removed the broken glass. Thanks to the friends and volunteers of the museum for this!” on Facebook.
For those wishing to help financially, the accounts of the museum’s partners, the Mizhvukhami Fund charitable organization are published:
UA323052990000026001016208973 UAH/840
UA753052990000026001046225528 EUR/978
UA633052990000026006026228830 USD/840
In the appointment it is necessary to indicate “For the Khanenkiv Museum”.
The National Science and Natural Museum of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine reported that the windows of the courtyard of the museum in the exposition halls of the geological, paleontological and zoological departments were knocked out by the blast wave.
“We are forced to ask for help. We urgently need materials or funds to purchase materials for the prompt repair of broken windows,” the museum’s page says.
If you can help financially – charitable account of the National Science and Natural Museum:
UA 958201720313271001302009806
Code ЄDRPO19020229
Full name: National Science and Natural Museum of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (abbreviated as NNPM NAS of Ukraine)
If there is an opportunity to help with materials – the phone number of the director for museum and scientific work Chervonenko Oksana Vladimirovna +380503113256.
The windows of the first and second floors were damaged at the Taras Shevchenko National Museum. According to the museum, the process of cleaning and assessing losses is underway. For those who want to help, the account is indicated:
UA 43 820172 0 3132 71001 30101 6007
EDRPOU 022 26 116
The building of the Kyiv Art Gallery (formerly the Museum of Russian Art) was left without a roof and windows due to the raid. Funds for the restoration are collected by the charitable foundation. Sholom Aleichem. Requisites:
EDRPOU code 41378964
p/r UA133052990000026009016711600 in JSC CB “PrivatBank”
Purpose of payment: “A charitable contribution to commemorate the National Museum “Kyiv Art Gallery” of the victim of a violent aggression, head of 10.10.2022.”
The rector of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv Volodymyr Bugrov called for support for the restoration of the damaged university buildings and published the details:
In Ukraine:
r/r UA188201720313271002301014095
bank code 820172
code ЄDRPOU 02070944
For assistance in foreign currency, accounts are opened in Oschadbank: https://bit.ly/3COMgC0
As reported, during a massive rocket attack on October 10, the buildings of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (the Red Building and the building of the Institute of Philology), the Scientific Library named after M. Maksimovych, the Institute of Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Institute of Archeography of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the National Philharmonic, the House of the Central glad, which houses the Pedagogical Museum of Ukraine and the Museum of the Ukrainian Revolution of 1917-1921. Also, the National Museum of Arts named after B. and V. Khanenko, the National Museum of Taras Shevchenko, the Kyiv Art Gallery, the National Research and Restoration Center, the memorial museum-apartments of M. Bazhan and P. Tychyna, the National Science and Natural Museum of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Ukraine, Museum of the history of the city of Kyiv.
https://www.facebook.com/khanenkomuseum/photos/a.10155621344004162/10161146499489162/
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=5550628474991631&id=100001335990722
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=8389957164378847&set=a.289508001090511
The Open4Business project is ready to process and post information about humanitarian requests from organizations in need of restoration free of charge.
