• The UK Government has unveiled plans to provide vital energy support to Ukraine through the Ukraine Electricity Network Support Taskforce.
• Portable generators will be sent to the country to support access to power for thousands of essential services in Ukraine, including hospitals and shelters.
• Donation comes in response to direct request from President Zelenskyy and Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko.

The UK will donate more than 500 mobile generators to help keep the lights on in Ukraine, the government has announced today.

The generators have been directly requested by President Zelenskyy and Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UK in recent discussions with the Prime Minister and Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng.

They will provide much needed energy to essential facilities across Ukraine, including hospitals, shelters and water treatment plants which have lost power during the ongoing Russian invasion.

The UK Government has created a dedicated taskforce, including distribution network operators and the Energy Networks Association, to source and send the generators to Ukraine which could provide enough to power around 20,000 homes or equivalent buildings.

This will provide a timely boost to Ukraine’s war efforts, safeguarding Ukrainian people’s access to energy, ensuring that essential services can continue to run and weakening Russia’s attempts to strike at Ukraine’s power supply.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

We are seeing the tragic consequences in Ukraine from Putin’s grave mistake every day, and we will continue to do everything we can to support Ukraine’s resistance against this illegal invasion through economic, diplomatic and humanitarian measures, as well as providing defensive military equipment.

We will now be sending generators to ease the difficulties caused by the current power outages and help keep vital services running so the people of Ukraine can continue to defend their country.

Business & Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said:

Sending portable electricity generators to Ukraine will help keep essential services running, weaken Putin’s attempts to cripple Ukraine’s power supply, and help support the extraordinarily brave Ukrainian response to the Kremlin’s war waging.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:

Putin’s inhumane efforts to knock out Ukraine’s power supplies are wreaking more misery on millions of innocent civilians. The UK is stepping up and providing generators that will keep hospitals running,and ensure the supply of food and water. We will keep the lights on in Ukraine.

We are playing a leading role in the humanitarian effort, delivering vital supplies and life-saving medical aid to help those Ukrainians most in need.

The generators will be provided by UK commercial suppliers, who will provide their available stocks of generators to the effort.

It is expected that suppliers will be able to deliver a large proportion of these generators to Ukraine via neighbouring countries.

The Ukrainian Government and the country’s energy networks will distribute the generators to areas of need across the country, ensuring they reach those who need power the most.

Members of the Ukraine Electricity Network Support Task Group include:

• Energy Networks Association

• Electricity North West

• Western Power Distribution

• UK Power Networks

• Northern PowerGrid

• Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks

• Scottish Power Energy Networks

• National Grid Electricity System Operator

• National Grid Transmission System Operator

• The UK government has brought 21 Ukrainian children with cancer to receive care through the NHS in England
• The children will undergo an assessment to understand their specific health needs before getting treatment at an appropriate NHS hospital
• Intervention is part of the government’s wider humanitarian response to the Ukraine conflict with more than 650,000 medical items already delivered to Ukraine

21 Ukrainian children will receive lifesaving cancer treatment in England after being brought over by the UK government with the support of Polish authorities and clinicians.

The 21 children and their immediate family members landed in England this evening from Poland and will be triaged by NHS clinicians to understand their health needs before being sent to NHS hospitals in England to continue their care.

The vital and in many cases lifesaving cancer treatment will be provided free of charge by the health service across hospitals in England.

Hospitals in Poland have taken in many children needing healthcare who have arrived from Ukraine. With more children crossing the border requiring immediate treatment, the UK has responded to Poland’s call for support from international partners to provide additional care.

The UK partnered with St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a non-profit American organisation which specialises in paediatric diseases, to arrange an urgent flight for the children.

The Department of Health and Social Care has collaborated with the Department for Transport, Home Office, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to facilitate the transfer of the children from Poland to the UK.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

The sickening suffering of innocent civilians in Ukraine is truly horrific. This vital lifesaving medical care is another important step in our support for the people of Ukraine and their resistance against Putin’s illegal invasion.

I am hugely grateful to our fantastic NHS staff as well as our partners, including our Polish friends, for their support in bringing these children to the UK and we will continue to do all we can to support them as they continue their critical treatment here.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said:

I am appalled by the atrocities we’ve seen in Ukraine and the despicable attacks being carried out on innocent civilians.

I am proud that the UK is offering lifesaving medical care to these Ukrainian children, who have been forced out of their home country by the Russian invasion while undergoing medical treatment.

I know that the incredible staff in the NHS will ensure they get the best possible care. I am hugely grateful to our partners and our Polish friends for their support in bringing these children to the UK.

We stand together with the people of Ukraine and will continue to do all we can to help them.

NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard said:

The situation in Ukraine is deeply shocking and saddening, and the NHS will continue to help in any way we can, whether that is by working with Government to provide medical supplies directly to Ukraine, or in this instance, by making sure these children with life-threatening cancers get the crucial treatment they need.

It is fantastic that colleagues at paediatric hospitals around the country have gone above and beyond to help these children during their greatest hour of need and I would like to thank the NHS staff, volunteers, charities and other partners involved who have come together to make this happen at breakneck speed.

The UK is at the forefront of the humanitarian response to Ukraine. The government has already sent seven aircraft to the region to deliver more than 650,000 medical items, including wound care packs, equipment for intensive care and vital medicines.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

Russia’s assault on the innocent people of Ukraine is reprehensible and barbaric. Working with our partners in the region we continue to be at the forefront of the joint humanitarian effort to provide the best medical care and support for these children and their families.

In addition, the UK has pledged approximately £400 million in humanitarian aid and funds to bolster the Ukrainian economy and reduce Ukraine’s reliance on Russian gas – making the UK the second biggest bilateral humanitarian donor behind the US.

The UK response so far includes:

• matching funding of £25 million in public donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine humanitarian appeal;
• providing humanitarian expertise including NHS-staffed Emergency Medical Teams, logistical support which is currently leading the charge on getting medical supplies into Ukraine, UK teams on the ground assessing needs and providing support; the option to draw on the UK Armed Forces to support NATO countries with humanitarian pressures;
• providing defensive military aid to Ukraine, continuing to work with international partners to supply defensive weaponry to the Ukrainian Armed Forces;
• coordinating with partners on sanctions aimed at starving the Russian government of funds to further its unprovoked war against Ukraine, imposing wide-ranging sanctions on Russian businesses, banks and individuals, including a joint decision by all G7 countries to remove Russian banks from the SWIFT system, in addition to our existing sanctions;
• On 7 March 02022, FCDO announced an additional £100 million of humanitarian assistance, taking the total UK offer of support to the Ukraine crisis to £394 million. This total includes:
  • £220 million humanitarian assistance – used to save lives, protect vulnerable people inside the country and in the wider region.
  • £100 million of ODA – to bolster the Ukrainian economy and reduce Ukraine’s reliance on Russian gas imports.
  • and £74 million announced on 7 March 2022 – for the Ukrainian government budget to mitigate financial pressures created by Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion.

The practice typically involves offenders sending an unsolicited sexual image to people via social media or dating apps, but can also be over data sharing services such as Bluetooth and Airdrop. In some instances, a preview of the photo can appear on a person’s device – meaning that even if the transfer is rejected victims are forced into seeing the image.

Research by Professor Jessica Ringrose from 2020 found that 76 percent of girls aged 12-18 had been sent unsolicited nude images of boys or men.

Ministers have today confirmed that laws banning this behaviour will be included in the Government’s landmark Online Safety Bill alongside wide-ranging reforms to keep people safe on the internet. 

The new offence will ensure cyberflashing is captured clearly by the criminal law – giving the police and Crown Prosecution Service greater ability to bring more perpetrators to justice. It follows similar recent action to criminalise upskirting and breastfeeding voyeurism with the Government determined to protect people, particularly women and girls, from these emerging crimes.

Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Dominic Raab said:

Protecting women and girls is my top priority which is why we’re keeping sexual and violent offenders behind bars for longer, giving domestic abuse victims more time to report assaults and boosting funding for support services to £185m per year.

Making cyberflashing a specific crime is the latest step – sending a clear message to perpetrators that they will face jail time.

The change means that anyone who sends a photo or film of a person’s genitals, for the purpose of their own sexual gratification or to cause the victim humiliation, alarm or distress may face up to two years in prison.

It follows a Law Commission review ‘Modernising Communications Offences’ which recommended that a new offence should be created.

Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries said:

Tech has the power to bring people together and make our lives better, but it can also enable heinous behaviour from those who wish to abuse, harm and harass.  

The forthcoming Online Safety Bill will force tech companies to stop their platforms being used to commit vile acts of cyberflashing. We are bringing the full weight on individuals who perpetrate this awful behaviour.

Justice Minister Victoria Atkins said:

It is unacceptable that women and girls travelling on public transport, or just going about their day-to-day lives, are being subjected to this despicable practice.

Cyberflashing can cause deep distress to victims and our changes ensure police and prosecutors have the clarity they need to tackle it and keep people safe.

Professor Penney Lewis, Criminal Law Commissioner at the Law Commission said:

Whilst the online world offers important opportunities to share ideas and engage with one another, it has also increased the scope for abuse and harm. Reports of cyberflashing are rising worryingly. This offence will close loopholes in the existing law and ensure that cyberflashing is treated as seriously as in-person flashing.

British Transport Police Assistant Chief Constable Charlie Doyle said:

British Transport Police have always taken reports of cyber-flashing very seriously and we welcome any extra help in bringing more offenders to justice.

We expect this new legislation will be a positive step in helping to drive out this unacceptable behaviour and increase judicial outcomes for victims.

We know that all forms of sexual harassment are under-reported to police and I hope the new legislation and increased awareness will encourage more victims to come forward and tell us about what’s happened to them.

Today’s announcement builds on what the Online Safety Bill already does by making sure criminal law is fit for the internet age and better protects victims from harmful communications online.

Alongside the new cyberflashing offence, the Government has previously committed to creating three other new criminal offences through this Bill, tackling a wide range of harmful private and public online communication. These include sending abusive emails, social media posts and WhatsApp messages, as well as ‘pile-on’ harassment where many people target abuse at an individual such as in website comment sections.

The Online Safety Bill will also put more legal responsibility on social media platforms, search engines and other websites or apps which host user-generated content to tackle a range of illegal and harmful content on their services.

Notes to Editors

• The new cyberflashing offence will apply to England and Wales. The Government continues to engage with all the Territorial Offices and the devolved administrations to effectively manage devolution considerations.
• YouGov research from 2018 found that four in ten young women aged 18-34 have been sent unsolicited sexual images.