Germany helps Ukraine with firefighting robots
When Russia bombs Ukraine, fires break out. German equipment is to help extinguish fires and undermine a particular attack strategy.
Kyiv (dpa) – Germany is helping war-torn Ukraine by supplying remote-controlled fire-fighting robots to combat fires following Russian attacks. German Development Minister Svenja Schulze was given a demonstration of the equipment at a fire station during her visit to the capital Kyiv.
She said that the robots could help extinguish fires without rescue workers having to expose themselves to the risk of so-called secondary strikes. Since a lot of the men were fighting on the front line in Ukraine, the Minister noted, women were increasingly being called upon to perform civil defence duties, so the equipment would provide relief for them, too. Seven of the robots had been deployed in Ukraine to date, said the Minister, adding that the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development had financed the equipment and pilot training.
During her trip, Schulze also announced further aid deliveries and support from Germany, in particular to help the people in Ukraine through the winter. Schulze said that the total amount of winter aid was 90 million euros, enabling electricity and heat to be supplied to 2.6 million people.