Emergency services in Ukraine
How to call the police, an ambulance and other emergency services.
Emergency services operate 24/7 across Ukraine. If you are in an emergency in Kyiv or elsewhere in the country and are not sure which service to contact, call 112, Ukraine’s single emergency number. The operator will determine what kind of assistance you need and, if necessary, connect you with the relevant services.
In this guide, VisitKyiv explains which Ukrainian emergency numbers to call in case of a missile or drone attack, fire, injury, road accident or other emergency, and what information to provide to the operator.
Emergency service numbers in Ukraine
| Number | Service | When to call |
|---|---|---|
| 112 | Single emergency line (Ukraine emergency number 112) | If you are not sure which service you need or if you need assistance from several emergency services |
| 101 | State Emergency Service and fire department | Fire, explosion, accident, suspicious or dangerous object, or another emergency |
| 102 | National Police | Crime, theft, road accident, violence, threat to life or another situation requiring police assistance |
| 103 | Emergency medical service | Serious injury, sudden severe deterioration in health or another medical emergency |
| 104 | Emergency gas service | Smell of gas or suspected gas leak |
All emergency numbers operate 24/7 and are completely free of charge. You can call from a landline or mobile phone, including a phone without a SIM card.
If you have no mobile signal, you can use the official 112 Ukraine mobile app to request emergency assistance over the internet using Wi-Fi.
What should you tell the emergency operator?
When making an emergency call, try to stay calm and clearly explain:
- What happened.
- Where you are.
- Whether anyone is injured and how many people need help.
- Whether the danger is ongoing.
The operator may ask for your name and phone number and may need additional details about the situation. Do not hang up until the operator has all the necessary information.
What if you do not know the exact address?
Give the nearest street name, metro station, building or another recognizable landmark. You can also open Google Maps to check your location.
If you are staying at a hotel or apartment in Kyiv, it is a good idea to save the address in Ukrainian in your phone’s notes in advance. If necessary, you can read it to the operator or show it to someone nearby.
Use our free travel checklist to go through the essentials before you leave — entry requirements, budget, accommodation, transport, safety and more.
What if you do not speak Ukrainian?
The 112 service has operators who can take calls in English and other foreign languages. However, an English-speaking operator may not always be available, so it is a good idea to have your address written down in Ukrainian.
At the beginning of the call, you can ask:
Чи говорите ви англійською?
Chy hovoryte vy anhliiskoiu?
Do you speak English?
If communication is difficult and there is a Ukrainian-speaking person nearby, ask them to help explain the situation.
Useful Ukrainian phrases
| Ukrainian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Чи говорите ви англійською? | Chy hovoryte vy anhliiskoiu? | Do you speak English? |
| Допоможіть! | Dopomozhit! | Help! |
| Мені потрібна медична допомога. | Meni potribna medychna dopomoha. | I need medical help. |
| Викличте поліцію. | Vyklychte politsiiu. | Call the police. |
| Викличте швидку. | Vyklychte shvydku. | Call an ambulance. |
| Тут є поранені. | Tut ye poraneni. | There are injured people here. |
| Тут пожежа. | Tut pozhezha. | There is a fire here. |
| Я поранений / поранена. | Ya poranenyi / poranena. | I am injured. |
| Я знаходжуся за адресою… | Ya znakhodzhusia za adresoiu… | I am at… |
| Я не знаю точної адреси. | Ya ne znaiu tochnoi adresy. | I don’t know the exact address. |
How to reach to Ukraine emergency services without mobile service
Ukraine has an official 112 Ukraine app that allows you to contact the 112 emergency service over the internet, even if there is no GSM signal. You only need to connect to Wi-Fi or another internet connection.
The app needs to be installed and activated in advance, so it is worth setting it up before an emergency occurs.
If you need a Ukrainian SIM card or mobile internet, see the VisitKyiv guide Internet and Mobile Connectivity in Ukraine.
What to do after a missile or drone attack
If you are in a shelter during an attack, stay there until the air raid alert has officially ended.
After the attack:
- do not approach the site of the strike or damaged buildings;
- do not touch missile or drone debris or any other unidentified objects;
- do not post photos or videos from the site of the strike;
- if there are injured people, call 112 or 103 and, if it is safe to do so, provide first aid;
- do not interfere with the work of emergency responders or other services.
If you are away from home during an air raid alert, use the Kyiv shelter map.
What to do if you find a suspicious object
If you see missile or drone debris, ammunition or another object that may be explosive:
- Do not approach, touch or move it.
- Move to a safe distance of at least 100 metres.
- Warn other people not to approach it.
- Call 101 or 102 and report the location of the object.
The State Emergency Service also recommends leaving the area by following the same route you used to approach the object.
Medical assistance for foreigners
In an emergency, call 103 (the dedicated Ukraine ambulance line) or the general 112 Ukraine number.
When making the call, explain what happened, describe the main symptoms or injury, give your location and say how many people need help.
Emergency medical assistance in Ukraine is provided free of charge regardless of citizenship or whether you have medical insurance. However, for foreigners temporarily staying in Ukraine, further treatment and hospital services may be charged separately. The cost of such care is determined by the medical facility in accordance with applicable regulations.
For this reason, it is a good idea to have valid medical insurance when travelling in Ukraine.
For more information about medical care, public and private clinics, insurance and pharmacies, see the VisitKyiv guide Medical Care and Health Insurance in Ukraine.
Additional hotlines
These contacts do not replace emergency services. If there is an immediate threat to life or health, call the Ukraine emergency number — 112.
| Number | Service | When to call |
|---|---|---|
| 1536 | Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs hotline | For enquiries related to matters within the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ remit. Monday–Friday, 09:00–18:00 |
| 1545 | Government hotline | For contacting government authorities and getting advice on public services and government-related matters. Available 24/7 |
| 1547 | Government hotline for preventing and combating violence | Domestic violence, gender-based violence, human trafficking or violence against children. Available 24/7 and free of charge |
| 116 123 / 0 800 500 335 | National hotline | Information, psychological and legal support in cases of domestic and gender-based violence |
| 0 800 100 102 | National Psychological Association hotline | Free psychological support. Available daily from 10:00 to 20:00 |
| Number varies by country | Your country’s embassy or consulate | Lost documents, detention, problems with legal status or other consular assistance |
The opening hours of non-emergency hotlines may change, so check the latest information on the relevant service’s official website before calling.
FAQ
Yes. 112 is Ukraine’s single emergency number. You can use it to request police, ambulance, fire and rescue, or emergency gas services. If necessary, the operator can involve several emergency services.
The 112 service has operators who can take calls in English and other foreign languages. However, an English-speaking operator may not always be available, so foreigners are advised to keep their address written down in Ukrainian.
Yes. Calls to 103 and 112 are free of charge. For foreigners temporarily staying in Ukraine, further medical treatment may be subject to charges.
Emergency numbers can be dialled without a SIM card. If there is no mobile signal but you have internet access, you can use the official 112 Ukraine app.
The Ukraine police number is 102. If you’re not sure which emergency service you need, call 112.
The ambulance number is 103. Call it in case of a serious injury, sudden dangerous deterioration in health or another situation requiring urgent medical assistance.
