Estonian police donate 31 cars to Ukrainian colleagues

The Police and Border Guard Board handed over 31 cars to the Ukrainian police on Sunday, which were previously used by community police officers. The leasing period for these vehicles had ended, and they will now enhance the vehicle fleet of the Zhytomyr and Chernihiv police. In addition to the cars, 175 bulletproof vests were sent to Ukraine.
On Friday, 16 Skoda Octavias and 15 Volkswagen Tiguans set off from Tallinn. The journey to Ukraine was approximately 1,300 kilometers and took two days to complete. Estonian police officers will return by bus. Before departure, Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) Director General Egert Belitšev noted that Ukrainian colleagues still have to use many Soviet-era vehicles. For police officers, a car often becomes a second home, reported "Aktuaalne kaamera."
"The Ukrainian police are the first to enter areas liberated from enemy control. They must operate in regions where adversaries and saboteurs may still be present. Every door could be a potential explosive. We deliver these vehicles to Ukraine ourselves to ensure they reach the Ukrainian police directly. We hand them over to the Ukrainian police, knowing they will be used as police vehicles," said Belitšev.
Since the beginning of the war, Estonian volunteer organizations have transported various vehicles to Ukraine, including SUVs, ambulances and mobile saunas.

For example, United Delivery Missions has sent 250 cars to Ukraine. This organization primarily consists of entrepreneurs, and their connection with Ukraine began through business relationships. Most vehicles come from Estonia, but also from countries like Finland and Germany.
"We have a small team of tech enthusiasts who check, repair if necessary, and test the vehicles. The budget for each vehicle we send, including refurbishing, painting and testing, is around €5,000-6,000," said United Delivery Mission NGO volunteer Riivo Anton.
The most in-demand vehicles are open-top SUVs and four-wheel-drive vans. Volunteers mentioned that the number of donations has decreased following the revelation of fraud schemes.
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Editor: Aleksander Krjukov, Marcus Turovski