Poland Ready to Send Humanitarian Convoy to East Ukraine Next Week: Reports

MOSCOW, December 13 (Sputnik) — Poland is preparing to send about 40 trucks worth of humanitarian assistance to war-torn eastern Ukraine before the end of the month, Russian news service TASS reported, citing the Polish Press Agency.

The trucks, said to be filled with food goods and other essentials, are set to leave Warsaw on December 17, should reach eastern Ukraine in time for Christmas (December 25). The Polish Press Agency has explained that the assistance is meant both for Ukrainians and for people of Polish heritage living in the area.

Earlier, social organizations in Poland tasked with assisting compatriots abroad had asked the Polish government to repatriate ethnic Poles on the territory of eastern Ukraine back to Poland. TASS noted that the Freedom and Democracy Foundation has estimated that there are several thousand ethnic Poles currently living in the embattled Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

On Friday, the ninth Russian humanitarian convoy arrived in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, consisting of 50 and 80 trucks, respectively. Earlier, Germany also sent a humanitarian assistance convoy, including 100 trucks with nearly 10 million euros worth of assistance, including building materials, space heaters, blankets and bedding.