Switzerland provides CHF 29.5 million in direct aid to Ukraine in response to Russian invasion

23 May 2023

Switzerland has so far provided direct aid of around CHF 29.5 million

So far, Switzerland has delivered essential goods worth CHF 29.5 million to Ukraine. The Swiss army also supports Ukrainian specialists financially and with courses in humanitarian demining.

Since Russian troops invaded Ukraine in February last year, the Swiss army has used several convoys to supply the Ukrainian population with material from army stocks as part of humanitarian aid, as the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) announced on Monday .

The Swiss aid delivery is now worth almost CHF 30 million. The amount has thus increased by around CHF 9 million since mid-February.

So far, the army has delivered, among other things, six fire engines, 2,000 fire protection jackets and 149,900 protective suits to Ukraine, as the DDPS writes. According to the press release, another winter clothing delivery is planned for September 2023.

The Swiss army is also training Ukrainian specialists in demining. Last year, ten civilian experts from Ukraine attended three mine clearance courses in Switzerland. The courses are conducted in cooperation with the Geneva Center for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD).

According to a press release, eight similar courses are planned for 2023. Ukrainian specialists are invited to participate. Your travel and subsistence expenses will be covered by the army. At the same time, the GICHD set up a training program in western Ukraine. The army supports this program with 500,000 francs, writes the DDPS.

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