Taiwan groups donate 68 emergency vehicles to Ukraine

Lviv, Ukraine, April 23 (CNA) Sixty-eight ambulances and fire trucks, donated by Taiwanese private groups and fire agencies, were delivered to Ukraine on Thursday to support frontline rescue efforts in war-affected areas.

At a ceremony held by the Lviv city government, Taiwan Association of Community Advancement Secretary-General Lin Wei-lian (林偉聯) told CNA that the rescue vehicles were mainly from fire departments across New Taipei, Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung, while the rest came from non-government groups.

With the Russia-Ukrainian War in its fifth year, the association has partnered with other private groups on four rounds of vehicle donations, delivering more than 200 vehicles, the association added.

Most of the vehicles were refurbished before being shipped, Lin said, adding that there were concerns that the shipping route could be affected by the war, but the mission was ultimately completed.

Twenty-six vehicles will be allocated to Kharkiv, a city in northeastern Ukraine, while the rest are being sent to the military and border guards units in cities such as Lviv and Kupyansk to support rescue efforts, Ukrainian authorities said.

Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, has been under repeated bombardment throughout the war.

Jeff Liu (劉永健), Taiwan's representative to Poland, attended the ceremony virtually and thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its coordination and assistance.

Taiwan will continue supporting Ukraine in various ways and stands with freedom, he added.

Olga Kulish, a Ukrainian national married to a Taiwanese, said rescue vehicles are in high demand during the war. She said Ukraine is grateful for Taiwan's support. Some soldiers presented their emblems at the ceremony to express gratitude, she added.

Deputy Lviv Mayor Andriy Moskalenko thanked Taiwan for its long-term support, while Deputy Kharkiv Mayor Ivan Kuznetsov said the vehicles would strengthen the medical system and enhance rescue capacity.