The two wounded and their attendant were transported to Slovenia by transport aircraft L-410 Turbolet of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF), which was equipped with a medical module for the transportation of the sick and wounded especially for this mission. They were accompanied by the SAF medical team. The transportation went smoothly and according to plan.

The wounded are being treated in Slovenian health care institutions. They asked for temporary protection, gaining formal approval for the scope of health services that they will need. To facilitate communication, the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants provided an interpreter for the health care institutions.

Bearing in mind that the two wounded have been through a difficult time, we respect their privacy and ensure their safety and the protection of their medical data. Therefore, no additional information regarding their treatment will be made public.

In conversation with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba during her visit to Kiev in July 2022, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon declared Slovenia’s readiness to provide assistance with care for the wounded. In early November, Minister of Health Danijel Bešič Loredan met with European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič in Brussels, which set in motion the interministerial organisational activities for the transportation and reception of and care for the wounded. Care for wounded Ukrainians was also discussed at a meeting between Minister of Defence Marjan Šarec and his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov, which took place at the end of November in Kiev.

The transportation of and care for the wounded was coordinated by the Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief, the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health and Defence, and health care institutions. Seventy-five percent of the costs of transportation to Slovenia is co-funded by the European Commission.

Slovenia offers assistance to Ukraine based on the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and a resolution of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia. The mechanism, activated at the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, is aimed at assisting EU member states and third countries in responding to emergencies such as natural disasters, health crises and conflicts. Countries can request assistance under the mechanism when an emergency exceeds their response capacities. Slovenia responded to Ukraine’s request for medical care for the wounded, thereby joining 18 other EU member states in the care for the wounded and sick from Ukraine.

Video of two wounded from Ukraine landing in Slovenia on Youtube channel of Ministry of Defence