Ukraine joins 11 other European countries in sending personnel and equipment to France
Ukraine has sent 70 firefighters to help battle France’s most devastating wildfire season on record, marking the country’s first deployment as a provider of assistance under the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism.
“For the first time ever, Ukraine is joining the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism as a provider of assistance,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X on Saturday.
The deployment, first reported by Euractiv, also includes 15 fire engines and trailers, and amounts to about a tenth of the EU’s available firefighting force currently assisting efforts in Spain and France.
The Civil Protection Mechanism brings together 37 European countries, allowing participating states to request assistance when national disaster response capacities are overwhelmed.
