Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian rescue workers have been attacked by Russian forces 401 times. At least 43 people have died in the line of duty, and about 258 others have been injured.
This is stated in a report by the human rights organization Truth Hounds.
Also, since February 22, 2022, 248 units of special equipment and 138 fire and rescue units have been damaged or destroyed by Russian attacks.
At the same time, the official data of the State Emergency Service for the same period is significantly higher: 111 dead, 550 injured, 617 pieces of equipment damaged or destroyed, and 449 fire departments and other facilities affected. Such a difference, as noted by Truth Hounds, indicates that the real scale of the attacks may exceed those recorded in open sources.
The largest number of attacks on rescue workers was recorded in frontline regions, particularly in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kherson regions. However, there were also attacks in settlements far from the frontline.
The number of such attacks increased over time and reached its highest level in 2025. The organization emphasizes that these attacks are systemic, have an internal logic, and therefore cannot be considered collateral damage of hostilities.
The report pays special attention to the changing nature of attacks. Drones have become the main tool for strikes on rescue workers: in 2025, 118 such attacks were recorded — almost three times more than in 2024, and more than 15 times more than in 2023.
The use of drones with video transmission allows operators to see the target in real time, which calls into question the randomness of strikes on rescue workers, who have clear identification marks.
One of the most common tactics has been repeated attacks — when an initial strike is followed by a second strike while rescue workers are still working. Truth Hounds has recorded 200 such incidents and has been able to confirm 92 of them. These attacks have killed at least 20 rescue workers, injured 108, and damaged or destroyed 76 pieces of equipment.
Another trend is strikes on fire and rescue facilities. Truth Hounds recorded 138 cases of damage or destruction of such facilities. In most of the episodes analyzed, there were no military targets nearby.
The report notes that such actions may fall within the definition of war crimes — attacks on civilians or civilian objects under international humanitarian law and the Rome Statute. Individual attacks may also be considered acts of terrorizing the civilian population.
The constant threat of shelling has forced rescuers to change routes, suspend operations, work from shelters, and use additional protective equipment, including drone detectors and armored vehicles. This complicates and slows down rescue operations, and increases the risks to civilians who remain without assistance for longer.
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