1000 Days of the ‘Skhid (East)’ Mission: The Ukrainian Red Cross Saves Lives During the War in Ukraine

Today, 12 January 2025, marks 1,000 days since the start of the ‘Skhid (East)’ mission operation in the territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which are under the control of the Ukrainian Government. The mission aims to provide vital assistance to people living in frontline areas who are suffering the consequences of the war. Volunteers from the Ukrainian Red Cross emergency response teams are actively involved in the mission’s efforts.

The key tasks of the ‘Skhid (East)’ mission include:

• evacuating children, women, people with limited mobility, the elderly, the wounded, and those in need of assistance,
• evacuating and transporting wounded and sick individuals, including wounded and sick combatants, between medical facilities, in accordance with international humanitarian law
• providing first aid in accordance with Order No. 441 of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine,
• delivering and distributing humanitarian aid,
• supporting the work of local emergency response teams.

For 1,000 days of full-time activity within the mission:

• More than 70 volunteer rotations have been carried out, involving volunteers from the Ukrainian Red Cross emergency response teams across the country.
• Over 7,000 evacuation visits have been carried out during the mission, including 2,500 in 2024.
• The ‘Skhid (East)’ mission plays an active role in evacuations from stabilisation centres and field hospitals.
• Its vehicles have covered over 2,000,000 kilometres during 1,000 days of operation.

Volunteers work in challenging and dangerous conditions, facing constant shelling and risk. In 2022, for instance, the mission’s headquarters withstood two attacks, including artillery bombardments and S-300 missile strikes. These attacks damaged and destroyed three Ukrainian Red Cross vehicles.

Each day, volunteers demonstrate not only efficiency and professionalism but also courage and resilience. Despite the challenges, the Ukrainian Red Cross volunteers continue to save lives and provide crucial assistance.