Earthquake Update: Ukraine To Send ‘Several Dozen’ Rescuers To ‘Friend’ Turkey

Ukraine is set to send rescuers to Turkey after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria Monday, killing and injuring thousands of people.

During the national joint newscast Monday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that rescuers will help clear the rubble and recover more people after the deadly earthquake destroyed thousands of buildings.

“We never do anything that harms the interests of Ukraine,” Kuleba said, as quoted by Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda. “Therefore, such a number, several dozen, of Ukrainian rescuers will be able to help Turkey, our neighbor, our friend, without harming the capabilities of rescue services in Ukraine.”

Kuleba also noted that Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already consulted the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs about the matter.

In a post on the same day, the minister said that they are already coordinating with their Turkish counterparts for the deployment of rescuers.

“Ukraine stands ready to send a large group of rescue workers to Türkiye to assist crisis response. We are working closely with the Turkish side to coordinate their deployment,” he tweeted.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reportedly received at least 24 appeals from citizens of Ukraine who cannot contact their relatives in Turkey.

“As of this moment, we do not have any information that Ukrainian citizens have been injured in the earthquake, but the rubble is still being cleared, so this information will be updated,” Kuleba said.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country is ready to provide necessary assistance to Turkey.

“We will stand by Turkey during this difficult time,” Zelensky wrote. “We are ready to provide the necessary assistance to overcome this disaster.”

More than 10 search and rescue teams from the European Union have been deployed to help with the recovery, while other nations such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Israel, Russia and China have offered assistance to the countries, according to a report by The Guardian.

As of Monday night, more than 4,300 people have been killed, with Turkey’s death toll hitting 2,921 and Syria’s reaching 1,444.

Thousands are yet to be recovered. The World Health Organization reportedly predicted that the death toll could reach 20,000 in the coming days.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has since declared a seven-day period of national mourning.