Politics & Government

Kishida Vows Emergency Aid to Ukraine for Flooding by Dam Collapse

AP
Ukrainian Red Cross volunteers carry an elderly woman during the evacuation from a flooded neighborhood in Kherson, Ukraine,on June 8.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

19:42 JST, June 9, 2023

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a phone call on Friday his intention to provide $5 million (approximately ¥700 million) in emergency humanitarian aid through an international organization.

The aid is intended to help residents affected by flooding caused by the collapse of a dam at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant.

During the 30-minute conversation, Kishida strongly condemned Russia for its aggression against Ukraine, saying that the damage to civilian facilities, including power plants, is not justifiable. Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude for Japan’s support.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said on Friday that two wounded Ukrainian soldiers were admitted to the Self-Defense Forces Central Hospital in Tokyo for treatment on Thursday. This is the first time the SDF has admitted and treated wounded foreign soldiers.