Russian Forces Target Kherson Rescuers with Follow-Up Strike During Firefighting

Emergency Responders Attacked in Kherson

According to Главком: On February 24, 2024, Russian military forces launched an attack on State Emergency Service (SES) personnel in Kherson while they were responding to the aftermath of an earlier strike. The rescuers had been called to extinguish a burning car, which had caught fire after an explosive device was dropped by a Russian drone. As the emergency crews arrived and began fighting the blaze, the Russian army carried out a second, deliberate attack on their position.

The follow-up strike damaged a fire engine, though none of the rescue workers were injured. This incident in Kherson is part of a broader pattern of Russian forces targeting civilian rescue services across Ukraine. Such attacks, which violate international humanitarian law, have also been recorded against:

• A fire and rescue station in Kramatorsk, where the building and equipment were damaged;
• A fire station in Druzhkivka, Donetsk region, on Rescue Worker's Day;
• Rescue workers in the Kryvyi Rih district of Dnipropetrovsk region while they were putting out a fire.

Persistent Threats to Rescue Workers

These events highlight the persistent and severe dangers faced by Ukrainian emergency responders performing their duties in a war zone. The attacks on rescue services underscore the perilous situation for SES workers, who risk their lives to save others under the constant threat of repeated strikes. Their work is made exponentially more difficult as they must operate while being directly targeted, demonstrating an urgent need for enhanced safety and protective measures for first responders in active combat areas.