EU sends Ukraine medical emergency equipment amid fears of Russian invasion

Service members of the Ukrainian armed forces stand at combat positions near the line of separation from Russian-backed rebels, as a dog is seen in the foreground, near the village of Bohdanivka in the Donetsk region, Ukraine February 19, 2022. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

The European Union has delivered emergency medical equipment to Ukraine following a request from Kyiv amid an escalation of the crisis with Russia, the European Commission said on Saturday.

The request was made by Ukraine on Tuesday, amid rising fears of an imminent Russian invasion.

So far emergency aid has come from France, Romania, Slovenia, Ireland and Austria, the Commission said.

FILE PHOTO: European Union flags are seen outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium November 14, 2018. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/File Photo

France has sent a field hospital, medicines and hundreds of tents, blankets, sleeping bags. Additional aid, including medical equipment and power generators, were deployed by the other EU countries. More help is expected in coming days.

"Following a request from the Government of Ukraine for emergency assistance due to the threat of further escalation, the European Commission is coordinating the delivery of essential supplies to support the civilian population," said an EU statement.

When the scale of an emergency overwhelms the response capabilities of a country, it can request assistance via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which coordinates assistance from EU and other European countries.

(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio @fraguarascio; Editing by Mark Potter)