Zaporizhzhia, 22 October 2025 — Two modern motorboats with trailers, worth over 7.9 million UAH (US$191,800), have been handed over to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) and the National Police in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine provided the equipment with financial support from the Government of Denmark as part of a joint project aimed at strengthening community security and resilience in frontline regions.

The UMS 700 aluminium-class motorboats are designed to operate in challenging weather and hydrological conditions. They will help rescuers evacuate people from flooded areas; transport equipment, medicine, and personnel to hard-to-reach locations; and carry out search and rescue operations on water. The water police units will use the boats for patrolling, responding to emergencies on water, and ensuring community security.

Thomas Lund-Soerensen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark to Ukraine, underlined that supporting emergency services is a key part of Denmark’s assistance for strengthening Ukraine’s civil protection system. “In regions like Zaporizhzhia, where communities face daily danger from ongoing Russian attacks, rescuers and police officers perform extremely demanding yet vital work,” said Mr Lund-Soerensen. “We want our support to help them protect their citizens in the most challenging circumstances.”

Auke Lootsma, UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine, highlighted that this assistance is part of UNDP’s broader support to communities to help enhance their civil protection and security capacity. “At UNDP, we help communities improve their preparedness for emergencies by equipping first responders with modern tools and resources,” said Mr Lootsma. “This enables rescuers and police to act faster and more effectively, providing timely assistance to people when their lives are at risk.”

Media enquiries:

Yuliia Samus, Head of Communications, UNDP in Ukraine,  yuliia.samus@undp.org