Ukrainian rescuers rated the most powerful among the UN’s INSARAG teams worldwide

The International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) was established following a series of major earthquakes in 1991 and operates under a United Nations mandate. Today, it functions as a global network of government officials, emergency managers, and non-governmental organizations, coordinating efforts to respond to large-scale disasters across the world.

Ukraine’s heavy-duty search and rescue team, Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Mobile Rescue Center Ukraine, recently completed external recertification in Gdańsk, Poland, in line with INSARAG standards. Specialists from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine demonstrated their readiness to address major emergencies adhering to international protocols.

Volodymyr Demchuk, deputy head of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, shared the news at the Media Center Ukraine.

“Ukraine is represented in this network by national and operational-level contacts. Membership in INSARAG has enabled our specialists to integrate into the European network of rescuers without requiring additional certification, allowing them to participate in emergency operations worldwide. Ukrainian teams have gained extensive practical experience during wartime, and international experts have recognized our rescuers as the most powerful among all teams globally,” Demchuk said.

Ukraine’s participation in INSARAG provides significant benefits, including access to real-time global emergency communications, adoption of international standards and best practices, inclusion in the European pool of forces and resources, and, crucially, the ability to take part in disaster response operations worldwide.

Maksym Maievskyi, head of the Ukrainian team, added that the unit comprises 67 core members and 67 reserves, all fully trained to carry out a comprehensive range of rescue operations in accordance with international standards.

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