Russian forces have targeted Ukrainian emergency responders at least 401 times since the start of the full-scale invasion, killing at least 43 and wounding around 258, according to a report published on Wednesday, May 6.
The findings were released by Truth Hounds, which analyzed attacks between Feb. 24, 2022, and Oct. 31, 2025.
The report concludes that the attacks form a “sustained pattern” rather than isolated incidents, with rescuers repeatedly coming under fire while carrying out civil defense tasks.
Researchers documented incidents in which responders were killed or injured, fire stations damaged, or operations disrupted due to repeated strikes. The attacks were most frequent in frontline regions, including Donetsk, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kherson regions, but were also recorded in areas farther from active fighting.
The report highlights a sharp increase in drone-related attacks, particularly in 2024 and 2025, with drones becoming the dominant weapon used in such incidents. In many cases, attackers appeared able to observe targets in real time, raising concerns that emergency personnel, who operate clearly marked vehicles and wear identifiable uniforms, may have been deliberately targeted.
Among the most common tactics identified were so-called “double-tap” strikes, where a second attack follows shortly after the first and hits emergency responders arriving at the scene.
Truth Hounds said such attacks may constitute war crimes under international humanitarian law (also known as the laws of armed conflict, or LOAC), including deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, though final legal qualification depends on evidence in each case.
On Tuesday, Russian troops attacked a gas production facility in the Poltava region overnight, causing a large-scale fire. When units of the DSNS arrived at the scene and began extinguishing the fire, Russia struck again – this time with a missile targeting the responders. Two rescuers were killed in the attack.
Viktor Kuzmenko, deputy head of the Operational Coordination Center of the Poltava Region DSNS and a Hero of Ukraine, was among the victims. After the 2024 Poltava attack, he led efforts that saved 17 people and participated in more than 50 operations to mitigate the consequences of Russian strikes.
Dmytro Skryl, a firefighter-rescuer with more than 20 years of service, was also killed. He had repeatedly taken part in extinguishing complex fires at oil and gas facilities following Russian attacks. In addition to the two rescuers, three Naftogaz employees were killed in the second strike.
President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to Russia’s massive overnight strike by saying that Ukraine would act in a “mirror-like manner.” He called the attacks “absolute cynicism,” saying Moscow is simultaneously calling for silence to conduct propaganda activities – referring to Moscow’s unilateral May 9 ceasefire for its Victory Day parade – while continuing to carry out missile and drone strikes.