There is a specific reason why the City of Haapsalu is donating a rescue truck with a raisable basket. Last year, shortly after Haapsalu' sent its last aid shipment, an apartment building in Uman was hit in a Russian missile attack.

"There were more than twenty people killed, and quite a few were children. Their concern was that they didn't have an evacuation vehicle like this in the vicinity and maybe if they had, it would have saved  either saved a few lives or reduced the damage," said Mayor of Haapsalu Urmas Sukles.

With the help of the Haapsalu Rotary Club, they managed to find a second-hand rescue truck with a raisable basket that was up for auction in Sweden. It cost around €20,000 to buy. However, there was a considerable amount of bureaucratic hassle involved to get the car to Estonia, as initially it was only for sale in Sweden.

"Once the auction was won, it took five months of correspondence and then finally we managed to get it to Estonia a month ago," said Haapsalu Rotary Club member Jaanus Arnover.

At first the vehicle was in Tallinn, where it was serviced. On Monday the machine eventually arrived in Haapsalu. In addition to the fire truck, other necessities will also be sent from Haapsalu to support its twin city in Ukraine.

"The neurology hospital is donating diapers, while the Rannarootsi and Karjamõisa meat companies are donating canned food. This week there is a collection among the Haapsalu commissioners, and the City of Haapsalu is putting in some more money. We are also buying kitchen equipment. The reason is that Uman is in the middle of Ukraine and they have somewhere in the region of 30,000 refugees who have come and stayed there," Sukles said.

To fund the sixth aid shipment from Haapsalu to its Ukrainian twin city, around €15,000 was raised in donations. The rescue truck will set off from Estonia for Ukraine on Friday, with the rest of the aid consignment to follow on Saturday.

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