Nottinghamshire firefighters give equipment to Ukraine rescue teams

Search and rescue teams in Zaporizhia received the equipment last week

A fire service has donated equipment to rescue teams in Ukraine.

The equipment, donated by Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, was delivered by retired firefighter Grant Smith.

It included old firefighting kit, burns dressings and casualty handling equipment, which was given to volunteer fire and urban search and rescue teams in Zaporizhzhia.

Mr Smith said: "The people in Ukraine are in a desperate situation."

He said they delivered the equipment on 16 February.

Mr Smith, who previously worked as a firefighter at Stockhill Fire Station, said: "We hope to help [Ukrainians] with donations of kit that they need.

"There is a clear benefit to the donations as the aid is unfortunately not always getting where it's needed.

"If this aid can go some way to make a better response for those who need it then it has been worth it."

Russian armed forces have subjected Zaporizhzhia and surrounding region to sustained shelling and bombing, with a strike on residential buildings on 9 October, killing at least 17 people.

Filippo Migliorino, engineering manager at the service said: "We are very pleased to give our old equipment a new home in Ukraine, where it will be used to save lives and help injured Ukrainians.

"Ukrainian fire services and rescue teams are doing amazing work in extremely challenging circumstances, and we wish them all the best."