The Free Ukraine Swiss Charitable Association is completing a joint humanitarian project with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to build a national disaster medicine system.

The last 26 out of 100 new ambulances based on Toyota Land Cruiser J78, fully equipped with the necessary medical equipment, were delivered on February 21. This batch was purchased and handed over to Free Ukraine with the financial support of international partners: Canada-Ukraine Foundation - 11 vehicles, AstraZeneca - 5 vehicles, and the Embassy of Ukraine in the United Kingdom and Free Ukraine - 10 vehicles.

The new vehicles are unique Toyota Land Cruiser J78 all-wheel drive SUVs designed to operate in difficult conditions and have high cross-country ability. They are easy to service and have a large fuel tank, so they do not require refueling within 1000 kilometers. The diesel engine and lack of complex electronics make them reliable to use. Thanks to their high ground clearance, these vehicles will help to reach remote areas off-road to provide emergency medical care.

"We have implemented this project thanks to the commitment and joint efforts of our partners. These 100 off-road vehicles will strengthen the capabilities of emergency and disaster medicine and are already saving lives every day," said Hanna Lysenko, president of Free Ukraine.

"As of now, the occupants have destroyed, damaged and seized over 560 ambulances. Meanwhile, shelling of medical facilities and ambulances continues. Getting to a call in time, delivering a wounded person to a hospital and providing him or her with the necessary medical care on the way means saving someone's life. That is why reanimobiles and evacuation vehicles are one of the top priorities! Thank you for these!" said Maria Karchevych, Deputy Minister of Health for Digital Development.

In total, the project for 100 new vehicles was funded by Free Ukraine in partnership with international organizations: the Embassy of Ukraine in the United Kingdom, the World Health Organization, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom, charitable organizations British-Ukrainian Aid, Aide Médicale et Caritative France-Ukraine, Yellowblue Force Foundation, Canada-Ukraine Foundation and AstraZeneca with the support of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

The project also received priority attention from the Embassy of Ukraine in Switzerland as part of the growing humanitarian cooperation between the governments of Ukraine and Switzerland.

Background information

The Free Ukraine Charitable Association, founded in 2014, is based in Geneva, Switzerland. This non-profit organization unites the Ukrainian diaspora, as well as representatives of other nationalities in Switzerland and abroad, who are committed to supporting Ukraine and working to make the country safe for life and health. Since the beginning of the war, Free Ukraine has donated more than 200 ambulances and evacuation vehicles to Ukraine. In summer of 2022, with the support of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, Free Ukraine launched a new mobile application MineFree (minefree.info), which provides citizens with access to up-to-date interactive maps with known explosive hazards and contains educational materials on mine risk.