The European Union has already provided Ukraine with almost three million iodine tablets that can be used to protect people from the harmful effects of radiation.

Balazs Ujvari, representative of the European Commission, announced this on Wednesday in Brussels.

Announcing the development by the European Commission of strategic reserves for chemical, biological and radiological emergencies, he said: "As an immediate first step, the EU has mobilized its rescEU medical reserve to procure potassium iodide tablets that can be used to protect people from the harmful effects of radiation. Almost three million iodine tablets have already been delivered to Ukraine through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism with the help of France and Spain."

Speaking specifically about the strategic reserve, the representative of the European Commission noted that the goal is "to create a response capacity through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism." "This includes a EUR 540.5 million rescEU strategic stockpile, established in close collaboration with the Center for Health Emergency Preparedness and Response. This stock will consist of equipment and medicines, vaccines and other therapeutics for the treatment of patients exposed to chemical, biological, radioactive and atomic components in emergency situations, as well as the rescEU decontamination reserve to provide decontamination equipment and expert response teams," Ujvari said.