Woman in protective clothing and a helmet next to a German Shepherd in front of rubble.

    Rescue dog unit
         New roles, combined strength: Fit for disaster response

    The war has also changed societal roles in Ukraine. Women are now working in many sectors that were once male-dominated and are helping to ensure safety and resilience – for example, as members of public civil protection services.

    Nadia Shokota is the head of a search and rescue dog unit which is part of the Ukrainian Civil Protection Service. Since the start of Russia’s war of aggression, their duties have also included searching for people trapped under rubble and recovering the bodies of the deceased under the most challenging conditions. In her work, she can count on support from Germany: through the project “Strengthening of capacities of the state and municipal Ukrainian Emergency Services in Eastern Ukraine”, the German Development Ministry has provided specialised vehicles to facilitate the safe transport of the dogs during operations.

    Ukraine is developing new deployment methods under extreme conditions and gaining unique experience in crisis management. These findings are also valuable for Germany, for example in terms of further developing its own civil protection system. The example shows that Germany and Ukraine are benefiting from one another – through exchange, joint solutions and the development of resilient systems.

    Eine Frau in schwarzer Arbeitskleidung streichelt einen schwarzen Schäferhund.
    When all that training pays off and my dog successfully locates a victim during a deployment, I feel a sense of relief and realise that my work is really making a difference.
    Nadia Shokota, head of a search and rescue dog unit with the Ukrainian Civil Protection Service

    As at: 04/05/2026