The President of the Brittany Region, Loïg Chesnais-Girard, accompanied by Vice-President in charge of European and International Affairs Stéphane Perrin-Sarzier, travelled to Kherson at the invitation of Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
A few months after the signing, last February, of the partnership between the Brittany Region and the Kherson Oblast, initiated with the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in France, this visit reaffirmed Brittany’s support for the Ukrainian people and helped further develop this long-term cooperation.
The visit also provided an opportunity to witness the daily reality faced by the people of Kherson. From the occupied left bank of the Dnipro River, Russian forces launch drones every day, deliberately targeting civilians in what has been described as a real “human safari”. Moving around the city on foot has become extremely dangerous. Despite this constant threat, schools, hospitals and maternity wards continue their work from underground shelters.
Together with Governor Oleksandr Prokudin, the Brittany delegation visited several civilian and critical infrastructures damaged by Russia’s war of aggression. Discussions also helped identify new areas for cooperation between hospitals and universities in both regions, as well as in the fields of agriculture, tourism and support for the reconstruction of Kherson Oblast.
This cooperation is already delivering concrete results. Brittany is supporting Kherson through humanitarian convoys, reconstruction projects and solidarity initiatives. More than 1,000 kilometres of fishing nets made by Breton fishermen have already been delivered to help protect roads, critical infrastructure and Ukrainian defenders from Russian drones. Brittany is also contributing to the organisation of respite stays for Ukrainian children in partnership with local authorities across the region.
While Russia seeks to destroy, Brittany is choosing to build. This partnership demonstrates the strength of cooperation between French and Ukrainian local authorities in support of Ukraine’s resilience and reconstruction. Our MistoMatch programme helps foster and strengthen this type of partnership between French and Ukrainian local authorities.
