UKRAINE, KHARKIV, Jul 15 — On July 14, Gaël Veyssière, French Ambassador to Ukraine, arrived in Kharkiv. During a meeting with journalists, he said that France had handed over 13 generators to Kharkiv to keep the city’s heating networks operating during blackouts.

In the spring of 2024, the Russian army attacked Ukrainian energy infrastructure with missiles and drone strikes. On May 8, the Prime Minister reported that they had destroyed or damaged 800 heating facilities in the country.

In particular, the March attacks destroyed the power and heating infrastructure supplying Kharkiv and its region. Currently, local power plants are unable to generate enough electricity to cover all consumer needs, so Kharkiv supplies it from other regions.

“We have handed over 13 generators to Kharkiv, which Kharkiv heating networks will use to provide Kharkiv residents with heat during winter and blackouts,” he said.

The ambassador also said France had previously allocated €2 million to help Ukrainian schools. These funds will be used to repair, maintain, and restore educational institutions.

“This assistance will also improve the educational opportunities for students. They will have access to more modern educational equipment. Kharkiv remains a priority for us,”  Gaël Veyssière emphasized.

The Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, Andrii Stashkiv, reported that Russian aggression has destroyed more than 200 schools in the country and damaged 1,600. Every seventh school in Ukraine has been damaged, leading to a lack of access to education.  

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