Taras Didenko: “Emergency response teams are like an incredible family”

Taras has been a volunteer with the emergency response team in Kyiv since 2014. Before that, he served as a rescue worker and collaborated with the Ukrainian Red Cross.

“Emergency response teams are like an incredible family that helps people across different regions of our country,” Taras explains. “Volunteers carry out various tasks around the clock, working at sites of shelling and attacks, including clearing rubble, transporting the injured and people with limited mobility, and providing first aid at sporting events. All of this is both impressive and motivating.”

Reflecting on his experiences, Taras highlights the Skhid (East) Mission as the most memorable. During this mission, he transported parents with young children, people with limited mobility, and the elderly from Lysychansk, Siverskodonetsk, Bakhmut, and Pokrovsk to safer locations. These evacuations often took place under fire. When asked if he was afraid, he replied, “Yes, more than once! I’m human, not a robot!”