Tartu donates four buses to Lviv, gains valuable crisis management experience
A delegation from Tartu City Government has donated four buses, IT equipment, charging stations, and trench candles to its sister city Lviv, while learning from Ukrainian counterparts how to manage a city under wartime conditions.
This week, a delegation from the Tartu City Government donated four buses, various IT equipment, charging stations, and trench candles to its sister city Lviv. Mayor Urmas Klaas stated that helping Lviv is self-evident, but the assistance is not one-sided – Tartu receives valuable knowledge from Lviv on how to cope under war and crisis conditions, thereby improving its own crisis preparedness. The buses, which previously served city routes, were purchased by the city from transport company GoBus. The city government allocated €23,101 from its reserve fund for the purchase and transportation of the four buses. One bus will be handed over to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, while the other three will be used by Lviv for its municipal transport needs, including transporting veterans. According to the Tartu City Government, the load on Lviv's public transport has increased significantly due to population growth, and the bus fleet has suffered from Russian attacks. Before shipment, GoBus carried out necessary technical inspections, fueled the vehicles, and helped deliver them to Lviv, providing two drivers. The Tartu delegation gained valuable experience in several areas. Crisis management coordinator Kristjan Kostabi noted that department heads and experts from Lviv City Council shared their experience in managing the city as a complex ecosystem under wartime conditions. The delegation also learned about rehabilitation and social services for veterans and war victims. Tartu's delegation became the first foreign delegation to participate in a memorial ceremony for the fallen, where Kostabi, a veteran of the Estonian Defence Forces, delivered a speech. Tartu has previously assisted Lviv with vehicles. In spring 2025, three cars were sent for law enforcement units. In 2022, Tartu donated three suburban buses, which are now used to transport Ukrainian children. Other previous donations include medical equipment, batteries, art supplies, and a piano for a music school. Tartu and Lviv officially became sister cities in 2024.
