Following a formal request from the Ukrainian government, Britain announced on Saturday that it will provide 2 million pounds ($2.6 million) in crucial food supplies for areas of Ukraine encircled by Russian soldiers.
Russian soldiers have failed to conquer any major Ukrainian cities just over a month after invading Ukraine in what Moscow defines as a “special military operation,” and have resorted to shelling them with artillery and air attacks.
The eastern port of Mariupol, a city of 400,000 people that has been under siege since the beginning of the war, has taken the brunt of the damage. Thousands of people are still believed to be stuck inside, without food, electricity, or heat.
Around 25 truckloads of dried food, canned products, and water will be sent by road and train from warehouses in Poland and Slovakia to the most vulnerable Ukrainian towns and cities, according to the United Kingdom.
“With so many people trapped in basements without access to food or water in ringed towns in Ukraine, the need on the ground is plain,” Alice Hooper, the British Foreign Office’s Humanitarian Adviser, said in a statement.
“We’re working with border partners to make sure these critical UK supplies get to where they’re needed as soon as possible.”
