Klitschko congratulated Kyiv rescuers on their professional holiday: over 46,000 dispatches and 2,200 people saved during the war

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko congratulated the capital's rescuers on Civil Protection Workers' Day and presented them with city honors. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a post on the mayor's Telegram channel. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Kyiv garrison of the State Emergency Service (SES) and the Kyiv Emergency Rescue Service (KARS), who lined up in the hall for the award presentation.

Over 46,000 dispatches since the full-scale invasion

In his address, Klitschko cited key figures on the work of the capital's rescuers since the start of the full-scale invasion. According to him, Kyiv rescuers from the SES and KARS made more than 46,000 dispatches, of which around 3,000 were directly related to dealing with the aftermath of Russian attacks on the capital. During this period, according to the mayor, rescuers helped save more than 2,200 people. "I thanked the rescuers for every dispatch and for every life saved. For the resilience and professionalism with which they carry out their mission," Klitschko wrote on his Telegram channel.

22 years of municipal rescue service in Kyiv

Separately, the city head emphasized Kyiv's historical role in the development of the civil protection system. According to Klitschko, it was in the capital that, 22 years ago, Ukraine's first municipal rescue service was established, which has since been working side by side with the state SES structure. In total, the capital's rescue team numbers more than 3,000 people — these are workers of the Kyiv garrison of the SES and KARS. Klitschko noted that for almost five years they have been working on a 24/7 basis: responding to the aftermath of attacks and carrying out priority recovery work.

Expansion of KARS and a new unit on the left bank

The mayor also talked about structural changes in the capital's rescue system. According to him, in August last year, at his instruction, a decision was made to expand the KARS service. In particular, a new emergency-technical unit was created for faster response in the left-bank part of Kyiv. "It has been standing guard for the rescue and assistance of Kyiv residents for several months now," Klitschko emphasized. This decision was driven by the need to reduce the arrival time of rescue brigades to the scene of incidents in the large left-bank area.

Context: ongoing attacks on Kyiv's infrastructure

The rescuers' professional holiday coincided with a period when the capital is still being struck. Earlier, Klitschko reported on various incidents related to attacks: fires at infrastructure facilities, drone debris falling on buildings, and casualties among civilians. It is under such conditions, according to the mayor, that rescuers do their work — on a 24/7 basis, without days off or holidays. Separately, Klitschko announced that within a month shelters will begin to be installed at public transport stops in Kyiv, which will become another element of civilian protection amid the ongoing war.