116 rescue workers have died since the start of the war — State Emergency Service
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 116 employees of the State Emergency Service have been killed. Another 622 rescuers have been wounded or injured while performing their duties. This was reported by the State Emergency Service. Major General Khyzhniak emphasized that rescuers work under constant threat, as they also become targets during shelling.
Major General Andriy Khizhnyak of the Civil Protection Service shared these figures in an interview with Glavkom, dispelling the myth that employees of the State Emergency Service are completely safe while working in the rear.
The Major General cited statistics on casualties among units of the State Emergency Service in the Poltava region, which is regularly under enemy attack.
“Unfortunately, rescuers are not immortal. In the Poltava region, we have lost three of our colleagues, and 34 have been injured. In total, 116 rescuers have been killed and 622 injured across Ukraine,” Andriy Khizhnyak reported.
The major general also identified the main hazards that emergency responders face daily while clearing debris and fighting fires:
- Repeated shelling: The Russian army regularly employs a “double strike” tactic, deliberately targeting locations where emergency services have already arrived.
- Structural collapses: Buildings damaged by rockets or drones pose a deadly threat during search and rescue operations.
“Among the most common dangers are potential building collapses in structures hit by enemy missiles or drones. Unfortunately, there have been cases in Ukraine where rescuers have died as a result of building collapses while fighting fires,” concluded the Major General of the State Emergency Service.
The State Emergency Servicestated that the unit destroyed near Kyiv was performing only humanitarian functions.
Over the past week, SES units across Ukraine rescued 52 people, responded to nearly 5,500 calls, and extinguished 955 fires, 295 of which occurred in natural ecosystems.
On the night of May 24, Russian troops launched a massive attack on the Kyiv region, using strike drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. The shelling resulted in casualties and damage across all districts of the region.
On May 23, Russian troops launched a second strike on Balakliya in the Kharkiv region. The attack damaged the “Light of the Gospel” church building, an apartment building, and private residential structures. The shelling sparked a fire that destroyed the church building.
