On Friday, the Swiss Federal Council announced the provision of machinery and equipment to Ukraine for extinguishing fires, purification of contaminated water, and removing debris.

Equipment and machinery worth 5.2 million Swiss francs (5.37 million euros) were handed over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine by the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports, as well as the Basel City Council.

The Swiss aid will arrive stage by stage. The first two heavy trucks with four construction vehicles left for Ukraine on Friday.

In total, Switzerland will hand over 20 construction vehicles, three fire engines and a vehicle for transporting equipment and personnel, two mobile containers for collecting and purifying contaminated water, generators of light and electricity, equipment for lifting and moving heavy objects, etc.

Part of the equipment and machinery might be sent to Kharkiv for reconstruction and repair.

According to the Swiss Federal Council, since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it has provided the Ukrainian side with over 680 tons of humanitarian aid and purchased over 5,750 tons of food for the Ukrainian population.

Earlier, Switzerland had condemned Russia's annexation of four regions of Ukraine, which violates its territorial integrity and sovereignty.