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Russian Strikes Kill 111 Ukrainian Emergency Workers And Injure Over 550 Since 2022
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At least 111 Ukrainian emergency responders have been killed and more than 550 injured as a result of Russian attacks since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, according to data from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine cited in a new report by the Ukrainian non-governmental organization Truth Hounds on May 6.
The findings, based on data available as of October 2025, also indicate that hundreds of units of firefighting equipment and numerous fire station buildings have been destroyed by Russian forces.
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According to the report, most attacks targeting rescuers occur in frontline regions, particularly in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kherson oblasts. However, strikes have also been recorded in areas located further from the line of contact, suggesting a broader geographic scope.
Researchers note a significant increase in the use of drones to target emergency personnel, especially in 2024–2025. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said that while such incidents were less frequent at the beginning of the invasion, there is now evidence of what officials describe as a “systematic destruction of firefighting equipment.”
“Reports of repeated strikes or FPV drone attacks during firefighting operations are now received almost daily,” said Viktor Likanov, a senior official within the agency responsible for resource management and infrastructure. “A similar pattern is observed with facilities, where repeated strikes have also increased.”
The report documents at least 200 incidents in which rescuers were targeted in so-called “double-tap” attacks—follow-up strikes hitting the same location shortly after an initial impact. These incidents resulted in 20 fatalities and 108 injuries among emergency personnel, as well as further damage to specialized vehicles and fire stations.
In most of the analyzed cases, researchers found no military or dual-use objects within a 300-meter radius of the damaged sites. This, the report states, raises the likelihood that emergency infrastructure itself was deliberately targeted.
The study also highlights hostile rhetoric circulating in pro-Russian Telegram channels, where threats against Ukrainian rescuers have been repeatedly published. Some posts alleged that emergency services were linked to foreign fighters or NATO, claims the report describes as unfounded.
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“Some rescuers have suffered irreversible injuries or lost the ability to continue their service, while many others live under constant stress and anxiety,” the report concludes.
During the recent Russian overnight strike involving missiles and drones in Ukraine’s Poltava region became particularly deadly when a follow-up attack targeted emergency crews, killing five people—including three rescuers—and wounding dozens.
According to local authorities, Russian forces hit two sites in the Poltava district, damaging an industrial facility and railway infrastructure. The strikes also disrupted gas supplies, leaving 3,480 consumers without service. At least 37 people were injured, Ukraine’s state energy company Naftogaz reported.
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