<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, presided over the delivery of 70 electric generators to Ukraine this Friday to "alleviate the serious lack of energy infrastructure, largely destroyed by continuous Russian attacks," according to the Ministry in a press release.</strong></h4> "Now that the fourth winter of this war is approaching, we are going to send 70 electric generators donated by Spain through AECID," the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, Albares stated at the event, held in the Madrid town of Pinto and also attended by the Ukrainian ambassador to Spain, Yuliia Sokolovska, and the director of AECID, Antón Leis. This shipment will provide the population with electricity, lighting, and heating, essential elements to cope with the low winter temperatures. “In this situation, Spain will stand resolutely with Ukraine in the face of the unjustifiable aggression it has been suffering for three and a half years, offering unwavering support for as long as necessary,” the minister stated. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the shipment responds to the urgent request made by the Ukrainian authorities to Spain on October 8 to restore energy services and ensure the survival of the population as the cold weather approaches. “With this donation, we seek to help the Ukrainian people face a very difficult winter, given the recent Russian attacks against key energy facilities and other critical infrastructure, attacks that have been particularly intense in the last two months,” the minister stated. Each of the 70 generators that AECID will deliver has a capacity of approximately 7 kVA and can operate in single-phase and three-phase, providing great versatility. These generators will be distributed primarily in the Sumy region, located in northeastern Ukraine, with more than 250,000 inhabitants, which has been particularly hard hit by the Russian offensive in recent weeks. During the coldest months, temperatures in the area range between a maximum of -5°C and a minimum of -12°C. The shipment of the generators was announced last Monday by Albares himself on social media after meeting in Luxembourg, on the sidelines of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (EFC), with his "Ukrainian friend and counterpart," Andrii Sybiha. "I have thanked Spain for the energy aid announced for Ukraine (70 generators), which will arrive soon. We appreciate this aid for the Ukrainian people in the face of winter," Sybiha wrote on social media. <strong>110 million euros in humanitarian aid</strong> According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Spain has allocated more than 110 million euros in humanitarian action to support Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict, almost four years ago, through the AECID (Association of Spanish Foreign Affairs) and in collaboration with decentralized cooperation agencies (autonomous communities and local entities). This is, according to Albares, "an unprecedented effort; never before has Spanish Cooperation disbursed a humanitarian aid package of this magnitude." This aid has been channeled into various areas, such as assistance to internally displaced persons, humanitarian demining, the shipment of power generators, the equipment and rehabilitation of educational centers, and support for protection services for victims of gender-based violence. "Spain will continue to support the people and government of Ukraine in the defense of their freedom and sovereignty through our humanitarian, political, financial, and military equipment support," Albares reiterated. "We said we will stand by Ukraine in confronting this unjust war, and we are fulfilling our commitment," the minister continued. "We will continue to do so as long as necessary until Ukraine is finally what it has always been meant to be: a free, sovereign, and peaceful country," he concluded.
