Ukrainian ambassador to South Africa, Liubov Abravitova, on Monday commended the much-needed emergency medical and non-medical relief to be provided to Ukraine by Gift of the Givers, one of the largest disaster response non-governmental organisations in Africa. 

Addressing the media virtually, Abravitora said, "We acknowledge the donation that is provided as humanitarian aid by the organisation Gift of the Givers, and we encourage even the government and other organisations also to support Ukraine as we are struggling not only for our land but to retain the main principles of international law and the United Nations Charter.

"We are glad the world supports Ukraine, and we urge that Russia's isolation continues."

Gift of the Givers noted over the weekend that it would provide much-needed emergency medical and non-medical relief to displaced individuals inside Ukraine, as well as fund the repatriation of South African students looking to return home. 

The organisation announced its intentions on Saturday, after having a "very private international discussion where representatives from Slovakia, Romania, the Ukraine health ministry, Croatia, one of the chief co-ordinators of humanitarian assistance in Ukraine, a doctor in Kyiv, surgeons from the US and Europe participated".

"Following that important session, we received a call from the Ukraine aid coordinator for guidance on various issues," said the organisation.

Abravitora also bemoaned Russia's "continued attack on civilian sites" and the placing of civilians under "severe risk". 

Russian troops on Saturday seized the biggest atomic power plant in Europe after an attack that set it on fire and raised worldwide fears of a nuclear catastrophe.

Ukrainian firefighters put out the blaze, and no radiation leaks had been detected, according to United Nations and Ukrainian officials. 

Abravitora again reiterated that Russia had failed to reach its key goals and said that Ukraine would continue to fight and win the war. 

The media briefing comes as President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday also explained South Africa's decision to abstain from voting on last week’s UN resolution on the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. 

Ramaphosa, writing in his Monday weekly newsletter, said the resolution did not "foreground the call for meaningful engagement".

"SA expected that the UN resolution would foremost welcome the commencement of dialogue between the parties and seek to create the conditions for these talks to succeed. Instead, the call for a peaceful resolution through political dialogue is relegated to a single sentence close to the conclusion of the final text.

"There have been some who have said that in abstaining from the vote condemning Russia's military operation in Ukraine, SA has placed itself on the wrong side of history. Yet SA is firmly on the side of peace at a time when another war is something the world does not need, nor can it afford [it]," said Ramaphosa.