Two-Day IHL Training Held for Heads of Legal Departments of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine
The Ukrainian Red Cross conducted a two-day training on international humanitarian law (IHL) for heads of legal departments of regional offices of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU).
The training aimed to strengthen participants’ understanding of the fundamentals of international humanitarian law, enhance their legal and professional competencies, and develop practical skills for applying IHL rules in the work of civil protection authorities during armed conflict.
Participants worked through practical case studies, legal scenarios, and situational exercises focused on the application of IHL principles in the professional activities of civil protection personnel. They examined issues related to the protection of civilians and civilian objects, analysed examples of IHL violations, discussed accountability for such violations, and explored the legal aspects of SESU operations under martial law.
The training was delivered by Ukrainian Red Cross volunteer trainers: Khrystyna Duda, lecturer at the Department of Theory and Methodology of Teaching at the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Institute of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education, and Anna Tishchenko, Head of the General Secondary Education Department at the Kyiv Regional Institute of Postgraduate Teacher Education.
Yehor Astapenko, Lead IHL specialist at the Ukrainian Red Cross, also introduced participants to the structure, emblems, and Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
A separate component of the training was a first aid workshop, during which participants learned how to respond to medical emergencies, practised casualty assessment, personal safety procedures, contacting emergency services, and providing first aid.
The training served as a platform for professional dialogue, strengthened cooperation, and supported the development of professional competencies among heads of legal departments of regional SESU offices.
