The unified emergency assistance number, 112, will be operational throughout Ukraine by the end of 2024," announced Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Leonid Tymchenko, during the nationwide telethon.
"We initiated the implementation of the entire emergency assistance system under the unified number 112 in July 2023, and the entire territory of Ukraine will be covered by the end of 2024," stated Leonid Tymchenko.
The Deputy Minister mentioned that the 112 Service currently operates in the central macro-region, covering Kyiv city, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Chernihiv, and Cherkasy regions. Emergency calls to 112 are also available in Lviv and Lviv region. By May 1, 2024, the 112 number will cover the entire western macro-region.
Additionally, on May 1, the Communication Center "Service 112" will start operating in Dnipro city, serving the entire eastern part of Ukraine by September 1. Furthermore, a 112 communication center is planned to open in Odessa on September 1, with the network expanding to all southern regions by the end of 2024.
"It is essential to note that the introduction of the unified emergency assistance number 112 is a requirement of the European Union. To allow EU citizens in Ukraine to use their familiar 112 number, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is implementing a unified number for emergency service calls," emphasized Leonid Tymchenko. "Our operators are proficient in English and Polish, and in the future, we plan to recruit specialists with knowledge of Romanian and Hungarian languages."
The Service 112 currently has the capability to process calls from people with disabilities using sign language via video call.
"I would like to point out that the regular emergency service numbers 101, 102, 103, and 104 continue to operate and will continue to do so. The operation of the Service 112 now allows for making an emergency call and receiving assistance from multiple or all services at once by dialing just one number," concluded the Deputy Minister.
