Heroes in red vests: Ukraine’s EMS workers have responded to nearly 20 million calls since the start of the war

Today, Ukraine marks Emergency Medical Services Workers’ Day, a professional holiday honoring tens of thousands of people in red vests who fight daily to save lives. Currently, 2,385 EMS teams are operating across the country, comprising a total of 32,981 personnel.

Since the beginning of 2022, Ukraine’s Emergency Medical Services and Disaster Medicine system (EMS and DM) has handled nearly 20 million calls, including 2,428,593 in 2025 alone. On average, the system processes over 16,000 calls each day. Over 69% of these calls were related to sudden illnesses and acute conditions. Another 10% involved accidents, injuries, and poisonings; nearly 5% were responses to patients with chronic diseases; 4% involved the transportation of patients and expectant mothers to hospitals and urgent care centers; and 0.5% concerned out-of-hospital deliveries and pregnancy complications. Approximately 5% of calls were false or deemed unnecessary.

Although the system continues to operate around the clock—and the Ministry of Health, in cooperation with international partners, supports it by supplying modern vehicles and advanced equipment that helps save even the most critically ill patients—the conditions under which Ukraine’s Emergency Medical Service operates remain extremely difficult.

Due to ongoing russian attacks, especially in frontline regions, EMS teams are frequently caught under fire. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, russian forces have killed 58 EMS and DM workers, injured another 122, and damaged or destroyed more than 600 ambulances.

Today serves as a moment to express our gratitude to all those who save lives in the most challenging conditions. Emergency medical professionals are not only highly trained specialists—they are true heroes of our time. We honor those who have lost their lives and thank those who continue to fight for every life saved.