A shipment of humanitarian aid from Greece reached the Ukrainian city of Odessa, the Greek Foreign Minister announced on Monday.
According to Ekathimerini, the shipment included food, hygiene items and medicines, and was provided by the Foreign Ministry with the help of the Region of Attica, the Greek Red Cross, Doctors of the World, the Sklavenitis supermarket chain and the Boumbouras Foundation.
The Consul General of Greece in Odessa, Dimitris Dochtsis, was on hand to receive the humanitarian aid.
A fourth Hellenic Red Cross humanitarian mission will also leave Athens for Odessa on Tuesday. The shipment includes tinned food, bottled water, antiseptic, sanitary equipment and three generators.
READ MORE: Greek Consul in Mariupol returns to Greece after successful evacuation from Ukraine.
Ukraine prepares for ‘last battle’ in Mariupol:
This Greek humanitarian shipment comes as defenders of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol have warned of a “last battle” in the coming hours.
According to a Facebook post from Ukraine’s 36th marine brigade, the ammunition is now running out in Mariupol and the casualties of the brigade are so extensive that even members of the city’s orchestra are firing weapons.
The writer said that the brigade had done everything that was “possible and impossible” to try and hold Mariupol from the Russian invaders but that it would be “death for us, and captivity for the rest” after being pushed back and surrounded by the Russian forces.
READ MORE: Greece will ask ICC to investigate possible war crimes in Mariupol .
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on Monday that tens of thousands of people have likely been killed in Russia’s assault on Mariupol.
The port city is home to a large ethnic Greek population.
“Mariupol has been destroyed, there are tens of thousands of dead, but even despite this, the Russians are not stopping their offensive,” Mr Zelenskyy said in a video address to South Korean politicians.
Reuters has confirmed widespread destruction in Mariupol but could not verify the accuracy of his estimate of those killed in the strategic city. If confirmed, it would be by far the largest number of dead so far reported in one place in Ukraine.
READ MORE: Greece refuses to supply Soviet-era missile systems to Ukraine.
