WCK’s response to July 8 attacks on Ukraine
On July 8, 2024, Russia launched a massive attack across Ukraine. Dozens of missiles hit residential areas and critical infrastructure, including the largest children’s hospital in the country, killing 40 people and injuring 150 more. World Central Kitchen’s Emergency Response Team was called to the sites of attacks in Kyiv and Kryvyi Rih to support rescue crews and families impacted. We stayed on site for three days, providing thousands of meals to anyone in need.
When WCK first responded to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 our efforts focused on supporting people fleeing for safety to western Ukraine and neighboring countries. As the conflict enters its thirtieth month, our focus is on supporting families on the frontline and communities across the country targeted by Russian attacks.
The escalating Russian offensive means our teams respond to attacks on a weekly basis. Structured to simultaneously respond in various regions of Ukraine, our Emergency Team was ready to act when Ukrainian authorities called for our support on July 8. We invite you to read the first-hand accounts of WCK team members who responded to the attacks.
Kyiv
The Russian strikes in Kyiv damaged residential buildings and critical infrastructure, including the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital–the largest in Ukraine. The strike hit the toxicology department, causing the roof to collapse. Two adults were killed and sixteen people were injured, including seven children. At the time of the attack, 600 patients were undergoing treatment at the facility.
Oleksiy, WCK’s Emergency Supervisor, and Dmytro, our Kyiv Assistant Coordinator, were the first team members to respond to the hospital attack. They immediately drove to the site, stopping only to load their vehicle with water knowing that the unusually high heat would mean an urgent need for fluids. On the way, Oleksiy contacted a catering partner and asked that they begin preparing sandwiches immediately.
The children’s hospital in Kyiv that was struck.
“When we arrived at the main building, the situation was difficult. We saw patients at the site of the attack immediately. Children with IV drips, in casts, and children with cerebral palsy. It was a heart-wrenching and tragic scene, seeing the impact of the attacks on these innocent children.”
Oleksiy has extensive experience responding to attacks and was able to quickly devise a plan amid the chaotic scene.
“This emergency response took shape quickly and was very big, involving more than a thousand sandwiches and hundreds of meals. To deliver so much food efficiently and quickly, we had to engage three restaurant partners,” he said. “I believe this is the largest number of people we have ever had to cook for in Kyiv at the same time and without preparation. But despite being in a stressful mode, we were able to make the right decisions because of our experience. We knew where to get information, despite the lack of mobile communication and complex coordination.”
Oleksiy coordinates with the State Emergency Services at the hospital.
Olga, WCK’s Ukraine Country Lead, was also on-site at Okhmatdyt that day. “When I came to support the team near the hospital, I was surprised by the number of people at the location,” she said. “The whole city came together that day, and ample help was available. The only difficulty was the lack of coordination for all the humanitarian processes at the hospital site. However, our team is professional, well-trained, and ready to respond to any challenges.” Our team set up distribution sites at one of the main entrances to the hospital and began providing meals and water to people in need.
Once WCK was situated and distributing food and water at the hospital, Oleksiy moved to the site of a second attack in the city–a 5-story residential building had been badly damaged. Oleksiy surveyed the damage and assessed the needs of the residents and emergency personnel who planned to work all night searching for survivors. He returned the next morning with breakfast for anyone who was hungry, especially rescuers who had worked through the night.
On July 9 we also returned to the children’s hospital to provide more meals and water.
Later that afternoon, the Kyiv team received information about a third bombing location in another residential area within the city. After assessing the need, we decided to set up a meal distribution site there the next day. By the end of day two, the team in Kyiv had distributed hundreds of sandwiches, bottles of water, snacks, and other drinks at the site of two strikes with plans to add a third the following day.
In just three days, in a single city, WCK provided thousands of meals, much-needed water, coffee, and tea to families reeling from the attacks and to emergency crews working tirelessly to search for survivors and clear rubble.
The third location WCK teams responded to in Kyiv.
Olga shared her reflections on those busy days with the rest of our team: “Our partner restaurants did an amazing job, providing many meals. I would especially like to acknowledge the team from restaurant partner Sam’s Steak and Emergency Supervisor Oleksiy. A big thank you to everyone involved.”
Kryvyi Rih
Hundreds of miles away from Kyiv, WCK was also working in Kryvyi Rih where Russian missiles struck an administrative building at a coal processing plant on July 8. The attack killed 10 people and injured 53 others. The shelling took place in the morning as people were arriving to work at the plant. The facility took three direct hits, causing extensive damage to several buildings.
Within minutes of the strike, WCK’s team in the area set up an aid center to distribute water, drinks, bars, cookies, and hot meals to search and rescue crews. Our Emergency Response Team stayed on site supporting anyone in need well into the night.
WCK teams responding in Kryvyi Rih
WCK’s Regional Lead Kateryna, who lives in the city, shared about her experience that day: “We distributed 100 hot meals and 200 sandwiches at the site,” she said. “We also distributed cold water, as it was the most necessary thing in the heat. The team did everything necessary to ensure that the first responders were fed and had the strength to work. We provided not only nutritional support but also psychological support because there were a lot of families waiting for updates on their loved ones near this place.”
In what was one of the darkest days of the war in several months, WCK’s team in Kyiv and Kryvyi Rih provided support to their fellow Ukrainians with the help of dedicated restaurant partners. Kateryna said it best, WCK helps provide, “the strength to work.” Food, water, and strength were vitally needed in Ukraine following the July 8 attacks. WCK will remain dedicated to our emergency response work in the country for as long as it is needed.
Help us continue supporting communities in Ukraine.
