State Emergency Service of Ukraine
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU) is the central executive body responsible for civil protection, rescue operations, firefighting, and emergency response across the country. It operates under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and is led by a Head appointed by the Cabinet of Ministers. The service has a nationwide structure of regional directorates and rescue units.
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Merz makes unannounced Kyiv visit, announces over €1.3 billion in new German support for Ukraine
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz traveled to Kyiv by special train on 4 October for an unannounced solidarity visit, meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky and announcing a new German support package for Ukraine worth more than €1.3 billion. The two leaders honored fallen Ukrainian defenders at the Maidan memorial, toured a Russian drone strike site at the National Academy of Sciences, and oversaw the signing of 15 bilateral agreements with a combined reported value of over €8.5 billion. The package includes roughly €1 billion in military support and about €350 million for Ukraine's energy sector ahead of winter, along with thousands of interceptor drones to counter Russian jet-powered Shahed-type drones.