Stories

"It was impossible to stay there. They were everywhere, at the entrance with weapons, their equipment scattered around. We were just afraid to stay, so we left."

In any emergency, rescue workers and firefighters are the first to arrive, ready to help, protect and save lives, despite any challenges. They are heroes in every country. When their nation is at war, their daily work takes a whole new level.

"Unbreakable" best describes Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city. It has faced almost daily Russian shelling since the beginning of the full-scale war. Aerial bombs, missiles, and drones have destroyed infrastructure, devastated residential buildings, and claimed countless lives.

War inevitably brings loss – of lives, health, homes, and cherished dreams. Yet, in the darkest times, the true brightness of humanity shines through.

Ruslana is a 19-year-old nurse who works at a clinic in Ukraine’s Zhytomyr oblast. She regularly visits families with young children in remote villages near the border with Belarus.

Formerly employed in a bank for five years, 27-year-old Diana changed her life and focused on her passion of making a difference in her hometown, Mykolaiv, Ukraine. Since October 2023, Diana has been working as a deminer for Danish Church Aid (DCA), specialising in non-technical surveys (NTS).

Today, 2 years after the start of the full-scale war and 15 months since the liberation of Kherson, the city’s new reality is much more grim.

When Russia’s war on Ukraine started, the lives of Yuliia, a former kindergarten teacher, Kostiantyn, an engineer, and their two children were upended. This family from Kyiv faced a difficult decision: to stay or to seek refuge elsewhere.

Ihor lives in the village of Pervomaiske, roughly 400km south of Kyiv. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he found himself at the centre of intense fighting. In 2022 the frontline dissected his neighbourhood, with fighting in the streets.

“One day, they came and pulled me out of the basement. 4 hefty guys, well-armed, positioned me in front of the house with rifles and began interrogating me.”

“For a year, I felt homeless. I am so grateful to these people for repairing my roof and windows,” says Oksana, resident of the Obukhovychi village in Northern Ukraine.

War, power cuts, freezing temperatures: Ukrainians are going through one of the most arduous winters in recent history after Russian attacks have left millions without reliable access to electricity and heating.

In 2022, the EU and its Member States were among the leading donors of humanitarian aid in the world.

In the early hours of 6 June, an explosion destroyed a critical infrastructure in southern Ukraine – the Nova Kakhovka dam. This vast amount of water was unleashed downstream along the Dnipro river, flooding dozens of settlements.

Volodymyr is a humanitarian worker who has been working for the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations in Kyiv since 2016.

2 young brothers, Hennati and Ivan, are back on their feet and lend a helping hand to others.

On the morning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, 34-year-old public servant Viktoriia from Dnipropetrovsk oblast went to work as on any other day.

Sophia – ‘wisdom’ in Greek - is one of 5 fully equipped ambulance buses that will go to different parts of Ukraine. They have been contributed by Norway and are delivered via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

Almost 1 month has passed since Russia launched its war of aggression on Ukraine. Since the start of the invasion, the EU has been working around the clock to provide emergency relief to those in need.