International assistance: twin city of Oberhausen (video)

European cities continue to show strong support for Zaporizhzhia. Among our most reliable partners is Oberhausen, Germany, our twin city for the past three decades. When the full-scale war started, our partner city provided refuge for approximately 3,000 Ukrainians and initiated the delivery of humanitarian supplies to Zaporizhzhia.

The first aid, including food products and medical supplies for city hospitals, arrived in Zaporizhzhia in March 2022. In total, Oberhausen sent up to 10 humanitarian shipments during the war.

“Regularly, every month or two since the beginning of the war, Oberhausen has sent us food, hygiene items, and essentials for the affected families,” says Viktoriia Agientaieva, director of the municipal enterprise “City Development Institute of Zaporizhzhia.”

Together with our partners from Oberhausen, the City Development Institute has applied for technical aid from international organizations. Thanks to this cooperation, Zaporizhzhia has received equipment and vehicles for municipal enterprises. In particular, medical facilities have replenished their fleet of ambulances. These medical cars are equipped with everything necessary to provide medical care to patients.

“Last year, we received two ambulances from Oberhausen. These are the same modern medical vehicles that medical facilities lacked. They were handed over to City Hospitals No. 3 and 4. To date, we have also received a Mercedes Sprinter, a cargo-passenger vehicle, which will be used during emergency operations. It can transport people and equipment whenever necessary to react very quickly,” noted Viktoriia Agientaieva.

During the war, many communal equipment and vehicles from Zaporizhizhia were transferred to the front. Therefore, city utilities currently lack heavy machinery. Thanks to cooperation with Oberhausen, Zaporizhzhia will also obtain a skid steer loader and a tipper truck in the near future. Since the city is expecting a difficult winter, blankets and modern stoves delivered earlier this year will be very helpful, too.

Author: Arthur Turkin, video by: Roman Kotliar. First published at MTM TV (Municipal television network)

Translated from Ukrainian by the CDIZ