A ninth convoy from the UK's fire and rescue services reached the Ukrainian border with 21 fire vehicles and over 2,300 pieces of equipment — replacing part of the nearly 1,800 vehicles Ukrainian firefighters have lost since the war began.
A ninth aid convoy from the UK's fire and rescue services reached the Polish-Ukrainian border on July 2, 2026. The convoy left the UK on June 29, carrying 21 fire vehicles — including 17 fire engines — along with more than 2,300 pieces of firefighting equipment.
The initiative was organized by the UK's Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government together with the FIRE AID charity, National Resilience, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and UK International Search and Rescue. Seventeen fire and rescue services from England and Wales helped prepare and escort the convoy, alongside roughly 80 volunteers who readied the vehicles and equipment for shipment.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the UK has donated 169 vehicles and more than 220,000 pieces of equipment to Ukraine. That support has helped crews respond to more than 6,000 incidents, and 2,500 Ukrainian firefighters have been equipped with operational protective gear and breathing apparatus.
Ukraine's fire and rescue services have suffered heavy losses: 481 fire stations destroyed, 1,792 vehicles lost, and 122 firefighters killed with 629 injured. Each new convoy directly offsets these losses with the vehicles crews need to fight fires after shelling.
Fire and rescue crews are often among the first on scene after a missile or drone strike, and their equipment determines how many people can be pulled from rubble or flames. Volunteers Support Ukraine welcomes this kind of international solidarity and continues its own work supporting communities that deal with the aftermath of shelling every day.
