Crisis24 Provides Vital Crisis Response Services Amidst Developing War in Ukraine

Situational Analysis

On February 24, 2022, after a year-long Russian military buildup near the border with Ukraine, the Russian Federation launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in an excessive escalation of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. The assault began with missile attacks and long-range artillery on several key Ukrainian cities, including Odesa, Kharkiv, Mariupol, and its capital, Kyiv. The activity quickly spread across central and eastern Ukraine as Russian forces attacked the country from three sides.

In advance of the attack, Crisis24 intelligence analysts routinely issued alerts regarding potential escalation. Our Crisis & Security Consulting (CSC) division began assessing the number of clients likely to be impacted by a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Calls for assistance within Ukraine drove our CSC team to devise a solution in the country, providing detailed intelligence and ground support.

 

Situation Report

How it Began – Deployment to Kyiv

After intelligence reports of Russian troops remaining deployed near the Ukraine border in early January 2022 and as international talks and military escalation were considered a possibility, Crisis24’s Crisis & Security Consulting (CSC) division began preparation of team deployment to Kyiv to support clients with personnel and operations in Ukraine.

 

Establishing Operations – A Call for Crisis Response

CSC personnel are experts in their field and include professionals in pre-incident planning and crisis response - all working as part of one global team. Even as these experts were establishing operations, chaos reigned around them. Ukrainian citizens and expatriates struggled to understand what was unfolding. As air raid sirens erupted and missiles exploded, people feared for their safety and worked with limited access to banks, food, medicine, and necessities. Some hurriedly made plans to escape to a neighboring country while others labored in the dark to remain operational in their homeland.

 

Crisis Management – Keeping People Safe 

Once operations and communications channels were established, Crisis24’s CSC professionals contacted clients and determined specific needs. While client needs varied, our approach to crisis response did not. Using crisis management protocols developed by industry specialists; the team began creating and implementing plans of action for each client that included: 

• Options for possible evacuation or shelter in place, as required
• Evacuation planning, including advising on viable routes, transportation, and border selection
• Access to and coordination of available ground resources for the extraction and transportation of individuals
• Monitoring of and support for the individuals during movement through the country
• Advice and assistance with sourcing safe houses
• Border reception and provision of basic life support, including food and water
• Facilitation of onward transportation to designated accommodation outside Ukraine
• Assistance in selecting and booking accommodations, if needed
• Assistance to destination(s)
• Ongoing reporting and crisis management advice to all relevant parties’ incident and crisis management team(s)

In a volatile environment fraught with unknown threats at every turn, the Crisis24 CSC teams continue to accommodate requests for assistance. A comprehensive network of contacts and connections in Ukraine and the surrounding countries supports our personnel on the ground.

 

Maritime Efforts

The extensive maritime experience of Crisis24’s CSC team meant that we were contacted by vessel owners whose ships had been impacted by the invasion in the southern ports. Our teams physically evacuated ship crews from the vessels and out of Ukraine into Moldova and Romania. Following these evacuations, some of the vessels were left unmanned. To provide owners peace of mind, our teams have been able to conduct daily integrity monitoring visits so that the owners know the condition of their vessels.

We are the only provider conducting this kind of monitoring on the ground at the ports. As a result, Crisis24 is ideally placed to support clients needing such information. Additionally, Crisis24 provides teams to work with clients in developing plans for when the situation permits vessel movement so that vessel owners can immediately move. This includes:

• Crew redeployment process and planning
• Crew security on land and afloat in Ukraine
• Local liaison as needed
• Logistics support
• Route/voyage planning
• Provision of onboard security advisors to assist with the voyage out

 

Border Crossing

The CSC team ensured that any clients crossing the border were received by a team who would assist with the crossing itself and then transport them to appropriate short-term accommodation before they traveled on to their longer-term next steps. Our regional teams monitored all primary crossing points (Poland, Slovakia, Hungry, Romania, and Moldova) to advise clients on the best route to exit the country. At times, crossing a border could take over 24 hours, so the ability to adjust travelers’ routes was critical to ensure a swift and safe exit.

 

Movement by Roads

Ukraine has a very comprehensive and practical road network; however, immediately following the Russian invasion, this road network was quickly overwhelmed with people fleeing the impacted regions of the country. Critical choke points of main routes forced traffic to a standstill and at military checkpoints extending a four-hour trek to a 24-hour trek. The CSC team assisted clients by planning routes that accounted for these issues and aided personnel in continuing their journey. When this was not possible, the CSC teams provided a guide to haven locations that allowed travelers a place to rest before moving on. In instances where personnel had opted to self-evacuate, our teams provided supplies like fuel for cars at a time when gas stations were closed and/or supplies were hard to come by. For individuals unable to self-evacuate, the CSC team coordinated security teams to pick up and transport the individuals and their families to safe places.

 

Movement by Rail

The rail network in Ukraine has continued to operate in large parts of the country, albeit heavily impacted by either military action or prioritization of military traffic civilianizing. CSC recognized that this transportation option could be utilized and conducted familiarization journeys across the country to advise clients on the realities of such trips. The rail network remained a preferred route of insertion and extraction from Kyiv to both Lviv and Odesa. 

 

Results

Crisis Response Capabilities

In a crisis, the ability to move swiftly is vital. Crisis24 has one of the industry's most effective crisis intervention teams – a global network of response experts from various backgrounds, including military and law enforcement, available 24/7 at a moment’s notice. When every second counts, our network of vetted professionals provides Crisis24 with the ability to respond swiftly, reduce costs, and deploy a team with the right skill sets and armed with the latest situational intelligence to get the job done.

 

A Successful Outcome

Since January 2022, the Crisis24 CSC team has received 50+ calls for assistance from organizations and individuals in Ukraine. This resulted in the safe evacuation of over 200 people and the relocation to safer parts of the country of many more. The team remains in Ukraine, assisting clients in supporting personnel who have returned to the country. 

 

Crisis24’s Global Footprint Supports Clients Worldwide

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