Japan has provided Ukraine with advanced medical equipment in an effort to help medical institutions affected by the ongoing Russian invasion.

Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Liashko and Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine Matsuda Kuninori on Monday attended a ceremony in Kyiv to mark the handover of equipment from Japan. The aid includes MRI devices and surgical microscopes.

During the ceremony -- which was held at a medical institution in Kyiv that specializes in heart care -- an MRI device provided by Japan was on display. The institution began using it this month.

Borys Todurov, the director of the Heart Institute, said he is grateful for support from Japan. Todurov said his institute needed the device in order to accurately diagnose patients.

Matsuda said Japan is ready to take the lead in providing medical assistance to Ukraine. He described Japan-made devices as easy-to-use and highly durable.

In Ukraine, the number of casualties among both soldiers and civilians has been growing since the onset of the invasion. In July, the Russian military struck a children's hospital in Kyiv. At least 1,800 medical institutions are said to have suffered damage.

Officials said they expect the Japanese initiative to help shore up medical services in Ukraine.

They said the equipment provided via the Japan International Cooperation Agency will be delivered to 30 institutions, including those in Kyiv and core hospitals in the east and south.