Attacks on critical infrastructure during the Russia-Ukraine war are leaving civilians vulnerable ahead of winter, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) regional director for Europe and Central Asia, Ariane Bauer, said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Light, heat, water. These services are vital for people to survive the cold months ahead. Yet their access to these life-saving services is limited or disappears with each blow that damages water pipelines, power plants and other critical infrastructure. Critical infrastructure that makes vital services, including water and electricity, possible for the population is protected under international humanitarian law. All precautions should be taken to ensure the safety of both civilians and the vital services on which they depend,” it emphasized.
The statement noted that as winter approaches, strikes on critical infrastructure “increase the strain on systems that, after several years of Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict, are already operating at the limits of their capacity.”
The Ukrainian Red Cross (URC) and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine conducted joint exercises in the Rivne region, the URC reported on Facebook on Saturday.
“Our cooperation with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine is an example of unity that saves lives. We are developing joint training platforms, strengthening the capacity of communities, and helping those who are the first to respond to emergencies. Today, the Ukrainian Red Cross is integrated into the territorial subsystems of the Unified State Civil Protection System in 20 regions. We have become part of the state response mechanism and plan to complete integration at the regional level by May 2026,” said Maxim Dotsenko, Director General of the Ukrainian Red Cross, at the opening of the exercises.
According to Vladimir Demchuk, Deputy Chairman of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, such exercises are not only a training of technical skills, but also a rehearsal of interaction between structures that act as a single team at a critical moment.
“We are grateful to the Ukrainian Red Cross for its support, equipment, training opportunities, and constant readiness to help,” Demchuk said.
During the exercises, rescuers and volunteers from the Ukrainian Red Cross rapid response teams from five regions practiced coordinating their response to emergencies.
Participants worked at four locations, practicing rescue operations for victims trapped under rubble, responding to the consequences of chemical and radiation incidents, extinguishing fires during road accidents, and decontaminating victims at a decontamination station.
In addition, the Ukrainian Red Cross and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine signed an agreement on the joint use of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine’s training ground in the Rivne region.
As part of the event, the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the Rivne region received a modular house, which will serve as a space for training and coordinating actions during exercises. In addition, 95 sets of firefighting equipment were transferred to volunteer firefighting teams in the territorial communities of the Rivne region.
Nearly 480 household owners have received microgrants from the Ukrainian Red Cross (URC) to develop or rebuild their own businesses.
“The Ukrainian Red Cross continues to support people who are striving to rebuild their lives and secure a stable income. As part of the “Reboot: Expanding Employment Opportunities” program, 478 household owners have already received UAH 47.8 million in microgrants to implement their own business plans,” the Communications and Marketing Department of the National Committee of the Red Cross Society of Ukraine reported on Wednesday.
The program participants were people who suffered from the war, in particular due to the loss of their jobs, homes, or businesses.
The selection of participants took place in two stages. The first wave of the competition ended in July this year and covered eight regions and the city of Kyiv. The second wave was held in Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kirovohrad, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Ternopil, Cherkasy, and Khmelnytskyi regions, as well as in Kyiv.
The supported businesses operate in various fields, including: repair services and workshops; the beauty industry – hairdressing, cosmetology, and manicure services; public catering – cafes, bakeries; manufacturing and trade – plumbing, construction, and children’s goods; educational services, children’s rooms; animal husbandry, beekeeping, and plant growing.
The UCC’s “Reboot” program is implemented with the support of the Spanish, Danish, and Swiss Red Cross.
The program has been in operation since 2024 and aims to support micro-entrepreneurship among internally displaced persons, veterans, their family members, and representatives of other vulnerable population groups.
Source: https://interfax.com.ua/
The Ukrainian Red Cross (URC) is helping victims in Kanev after a Russian air attack.
“This night Cherkassy region was also attacked. Rapid response squad and team of Cherkassy regional organization of the Ukrainian Red Cross together with the State Emergency Situations Department of Ukraine in Cherkassy region and Cherkassy regional military administration are assisting the victims,” the UCC said on Facebook on Friday.
The UCC aid station is operating, where volunteers are preparing hot drinks, providing water and snacks for rescuers and local residents. People whose homes were damaged are receiving OSB boards, film, blankets and other materials from the Ukrainian Red Cross to temporarily repair damaged houses. Volunteers of the rapid response squad are also ready to provide first pre-medical and psychological assistance if needed. The mobile medical brigade team provides medical consultations and stabilizes the condition of victims who seek help.
According to the Cherkasy regional military administration, a school, a kindergarten and at least seven high-rise buildings have been damaged in Kanev. The destruction of critical infrastructure left part of the community without gas, water and heat. Ukraine’s State Emergency Situations Service said 10 people were injured in the massive Russian attack, among them a 10-year-old boy.
Undisputed world boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk (Ukraine) will play in a charity football match in support of the Ukrainian Red Cross (URC) in Lisbon.
“Today, Lisbon will host a large-scale charity Match of Legends, which will bring together world football stars and aims to raise over EUR 1 million to support charitable organizations, including the Ukrainian Red Cross. The undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk will join the match,” the URC announced on Facebook on Monday.
The World Legends team will include such football stars as Fabio Cannavaro and Alessandro Del Piero (Italy) and Javier Zanetti (Argentina).
The funds raised during the match will help the Ukrainian Red Cross continue to respond quickly to emergencies, carry out evacuation measures, restore housing, and provide psychosocial support to those in need.
The Luxembourg Red Cross has expanded its activities in Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, providing assistance to health institutions.
“Since as early as 2022, the Luxembourg Red Cross has been helping the Irpin branch of the Heart Institute, which, like many buildings in the city, was severely damaged by shelling… The Luxembourg Red Cross, in partnership with the Ukrainian Red Cross, has helped in the shortest possible time to rebuild the damaged treatment buildings of the medical institution and start receiving patients,” the Ukrainian Red Cross (URC) said on Facebook on Tuesday.
The Luxembourg Red Cross also financed this year the purchase of modern industrial washing equipment for the Heart Institute branch. Between 2023 and 2024, the organization helped create a safe shelter. The 32 m² basement of the Irpen Heart Institute was renovated, sanitary rooms were arranged and a ventilation system with automatic and manual modes was installed. In addition, the shelter has a supply of drinking water, benches for seating, backup lighting and communication facilities have been installed, allowing 30 people to be comfortably accommodated for 48 hours.
The Luxembourg Red Cross plans to continue providing assistance to the most vulnerable categories of the Ukrainian population, responding quickly to the urgent calls caused by the war. Among the priorities of the organization is support of awareness-raising activities on prevention of cardiovascular diseases, tuberculosis, diabetes.
The Luxembourg Red Cross will continue to maintain close cooperation with the UCC, government agencies and local authorities.
