The cities of Leipzig and Kyiv have been closely linked by a partnership for more than 60 years– for the first time since the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine, an official delegation has now visited the city on the Dnieper, which was severely affected by the war. The delegation laid flowers at the memorial site for the victims of the Kyiv population and respectfully took part in the individual commemoration by laying a wreath.
The partnership continues even during the war. The topics range from continuous aid deliveries, recreational stays for children and young people in Leipzig, numerous expert visits on disaster management and rescue services to cultural resilience and reconstruction. During a brief visit to the fire department, the delegation was told how the special capabilities of the vehicles sent from Leipzig significantly speed up the extinguishing of fires.
At the beginning of the trip, the delegation visited the ruins of a residential building that had been destroyed a few days earlier – 20 people had been killed and more than 100 injured in a rocket strike. Speaking to the aid workers, 16-year-old Daria from Kyiv put it this way in front of her destroyed home: „The violence wants to take away our hope. But as long as we fight back, as long as we live and think about tomorrow, it has not won.“
