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.
