Finland, Ukraine to boost cooperation on civil defence

Finland and Ukraine on Wednesday signed a joint letter of intent concerning cooperation on civil defence shelters, said the Ministry of the Interior in a press release.

Interior Minister Mari Rantanen and Strategic Industries Minister of Ukraine Herman Smetanin signed the joint letter of intent in connection with the meeting between President Alexander Stubb and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The joint letter of intent was signed in Helsinki during a visit to the bedrock civil defence shelter in Merihaka.

“We will support Ukraine in developing its civil defence shelter system as it is an area where Finland has a great deal of experience. The past three harsh years of Russia’s war of aggression have brought Ukraine face to face with the importance of civil defence shelters,” said Rantanen.

Finland and Ukraine are together preparing a project to develop the civil defence shelter system in Ukraine. The aim is to support Ukraine in reforming its civil defence shelter system and develop the coordination of international support related to civil defence shelters to promote that the construction of civil defence shelters aligns with Ukraine’s national strategic objectives.

Rescue services and civil defence are also among the key areas of the civilian material assistance that Finland provides to Ukraine.

Finland has so far sent 409 truckloads of material assistance to Ukraine for the needs of the rescue services, energy and healthcare sectors, among others.

Finland also vowed to continue its strong support to Ukraine in other sectors, too.