Estonia sends nearly 30 more buses to Ukraine
Estonia is sending 27 buses to Ukraine, adding to those already sent in June and September this year.
Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa) said the aid was being sent: "In order to help Ukrainian society to function as humanely as possible during wartime conditions."
"In addition to providing military and political support, Ukraine must also be supported with humanitarian aid. By donating buses, we can make the necessary contribution to helping the people of Ukraine in their daily affairs," the minister went on.
The project was organized jointly between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, and the Transport Board (Transpordiamet).
Close to 20 Estonian buses have already been sent to Ukraine in two batches, in June and September this year. The buses were sent to the heavily affected Bucha and Zhytomyr regions.
The new group of 27 buses will be transported to Ukraine through this month and December, while the City of Tallinn and the foreign ministry plan to send two additional ambulances to Ukraine in the near future.
Lions Club of Estonia sends generators
Meanwhile the Lions Club of Estonia is sending just over a dozen electricity generators, which will help schools and children's organizations in particular, as they continue to operate in underground shelters during Russian offensives.
The generators are to be sent on the road in the next few days.
Alar Rästa, head of the Lions Club Estonian region, called the latest news from Ukraine "quite horrible", adding that missile attacks have led to power outages.
Rästa said: "The Ukrainian Lions Club approached us with a request for help; they urgently need more powerful electricity generators for schools and children's institutions operating in shelters in dark and cold conditions."
"Estonian Lions have purchased 13 electric generators (pictured) from collected donations to date, which will be sent to Ukraine in the next few days," Rästa added.
A joint effort with Lions Clubs in the other Nordic countries aims to get around 100 generators to Ukraine by Christmas at the latest.
The Lions Club has around 60 branches nationwide in Estonia with around 1,200 members. As such it is the largest charitable organization in the country.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Aleksander Krjukov