Scotland will send £4 million in humanitarian aid along with medical supplies to Ukraine, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.
The First Minister announced that officials were assessing the best route for the funding to quickly reach the country, which has been fighting off a Russian invasion since last week.
The funding will support health, water and sanitation and shelter for those in the country, including people who have been forced to leave their homes.
Sturgeon said “words of support are not enough” as she announced the funding, adding that Scotland would provide “as much practical support as possible”.
Medical supplies, including anaesthetic machines, syringe pumps and bandages, will also be sent, in accordance with a list of urgently needed equipment provided by the Ukrainian consulate in Edinburgh, while further work is under way to identify other supplies that will be needed.
“Scotland has given its unqualified support for Ukrainian independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and to the people of Ukraine as they bravely resist the unprovoked and illegal aggression of the Russian regime,” the First Minister said.
“As a responsible and compassionate global citizen we will help with an initial £4 million in financial aid to provide essential help to those in desperate need.
“And we are also working with the Ukrainian government to provide medical supplies from stocks we hold. We are co-ordinating with other UK nations to ensure that these supplies get to where they are desperately needed as quickly as possible.
“There will be much more that we need to do in the days to come. But one thing is already clear: words of support are not enough. Ukraine needs our active help and support now, and we will provide as much practical support as possible, starting immediately.”
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