The only Ukrainian governmental Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team certified according to international standards of the UN International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) has been created based on the Mobile Rescue Center of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

Ukraine joined the INSARAG system in 2009.

In 2011, MRC submitted the application for classification in the UN INSARAG system.

On July 4, 2014, according to the results of the INSARAG External Classification the Ukrainian Search and Rescue team was classified in the INSARAG system as a Heavy Urban Search & Rescue Team (USAR).

Since then, the team has been registered in the INSARAG USAR Directory as the Mobile Rescue Center of Ukraine (MRC Ukraine) team.

According to INSARAG standards, the team must confirm its qualification every 5 years.

On September 7, 2019, the USAR team of the Mobile Rescue Center of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine successfully passed the INSARAG External Reclassification and confirmed its status as a Heavy team.

The next INSARAG External Reclassification of the Heavy Urban Search and Rescue MRC Ukraine Team is tentatively scheduled for 2-6 September 2025.

From the very beginning, the Mentor of the Ukrainian team is the Polish Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Team – HUSAR Poland.

Since February 9, 2024, the Ukrainian MRC Ukraine team has been included in the register of HUSAR modules of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and registered in the CECIS system.

International Search and Rescue Operations

2023 – Under the decisions of the President of Ukraine and the Government of Ukraine, the Heavy USAR MRC Ukraine Team was deployed to the Republic of Turkey (Antakya) to eliminate the consequences of two powerful earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.8 and 6.5 on the Richter scale. They occurred on February 6, 2023, and caused catastrophic destruction in 10 provinces of the country. The search and rescue mission took place between February 7 and 18, 2023.

The Heavy USAR MRC Ukraine Team (UKR-01): 

• rescued 1 person (woman),
• unblocked from under the rubble the bodies of 
  58 dead persons, including 9 children,
• assessed 454 damaged constructions,
• dismantled 136 rubbles, and
• provided medical aid to 13 persons, including 1 child.

News

Ukrainian team is participating in the INSARAG Exercises in Baku

The Search and Rescue Team of the heavy class of the Mobile Rescue Center for Rapid Response of the SES of Ukraine has successfully passed the certification in the INSARAG system

Team of the Mobile Rescue Center of the SES of Ukraine participates in the external re-certification of the Polish heavy SAR in the INSARAG framework

The heavy SAR team of the Mobile Rescue Center of the SES of Ukraine shall participate in the INSARAG re-classification of the Polish team

The team of Mobile Rescue Center of the SES of Ukraine has trained to conduct USAR operations using the methodology and coordination mechanisms of the INSARAG System

SE “Mobile Rescue Center of the SES of Ukraine”: the active phase of preparation for recertification in the UN System INSARAG has begun

Representatives of the SE "MRC" participated in the final event of the joint Ukrainian-Polish project "Improving the capabilities of the Ukrainian team in search and rescue operations through raising the level of professional skills of representatives of the Ukrainian team"

Rescuers of the SES of Ukraine took part in field exercises as a part of preparation for the re-certification of the search and rescue detachment in Poland