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Ukraine

Ukraine ETC Situation Report #42 (Reporting period: 01/12/2024 to 31/12/2024)

Attachments

The Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) was activated in Ukraine on 03 March 2022 following the escalation of armed conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. ETC Situation Reports are distributed monthly.

Highlights

• The ETC enhanced the United Nations Department for Safety and Security (UNDSS) operational capacity, supporting their critical missions and inter-agency operations in high-risk areas with 12 additional Remote Site on Vehicle (RSoV) kits.

• The ETC responded to the worsening security situation in Pokrovsk city, caused by the frontline that is coming close, and extracted the Very High Frequency (VHF) equipment from the remote site.

• The cluster received the needed telecommunications equipment and started integrating a Non-governmental Organization (NGO) channel into the existing VHF infrastructure facilitating NGO access to ETC Security Communications System (SCS) services.

Overview

The ongoing conflict continues to cause immense suffering, displacements, and destruction of the country’s infrastructure. Daily strikes continue to cause fatalities and disruption of essential services that include electricity, gas, and water, further complicating life for those in conflict zones in the east and south of Ukraine.

Since January, 8.5 million people have been determined to need humanitarian aid. The close cooperation of all clusters has reached 8 million people as of December, and their efforts are continuing to assist the remaining people1.

Throughout December, intense fighting continued targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure and vulnerable cities, including Kyiv, Odesa, Kherson, Sumy, Dnipro, Lviv, Ternopil, and Zaporizhzhia, causing widespread power outages and worsening civilian hardships as winter set in. Recent strikes in mid-December caused widespread blackouts, affecting millions, and leaving vulnerable populations in high-rise buildings without heating, clean water, and functioning sewage systems2 .

An attack in Zaporizhzhia city in eastern Ukraine on 10 December damaged two medical facilities with numerous civilian casualties, including among children and medical staff.

On 20 December, in Kyiv, a combined attack of drones and missiles damaged the roofs of several buildings, including a cathedral and a business centre. According to authorities and aid workers, heating was also disrupted in more than 630 apartment buildings and 30 health and education facilities4.

On 25 December, in a Christmas Day assault, extensive missile and drone strikes targeted Ukraine's energy facilities, leading to widespread power outages and leaving many without heating amid freezing temperatures.