"Now I Know What To Do": Stories From Operation PACE in Ukraine

There are moments during a deployment that stay with you. Not because of the places you visit or the miles you travel, but because of the people you meet. For REACT Responders deployed on Operation PACE in Ukraine, those moments came again and again.

Across six locations, training sessions brought together people from very different walks of life. Journalists sat alongside psychologists. Teachers trained alongside social workers. Humanitarian demining teams practised casualty care alongside community volunteers. Yet despite their different backgrounds, they all shared one thing: a desire to be better prepared for emergencies.

Many had experienced the consequences of conflict first hand.

In Mykolaiv, one participant spoke about witnessing the aftermath of a child picking up a PFM-1 anti-personnel mine, sometimes referred to as a "butterfly mine" because of its shape. The incident resulted in the child's arm being amputated.

Another participant in Dnipro spoke openly about freezing during previous emergencies because she lacked the knowledge and confidence to help.

Others shared stories of attacks in their communities, injuries sustained by friends and colleagues, and the challenges of continuing to support others while living under constant uncertainty.

For REACT Responders, these conversations provided a constant reminder of why the training matters.

Responder Hannah Cameron-Ross reflected on visiting a children's memorial in Kharkiv and later seeing the reality of conflict in a hospital in Dnipro.

"Every day, someone is walking through the doors of that hospital changed for life. The least we can do is give those in a position to help them, the chance to do so early and effectively."

In Kherson, the team delivered training to people working in one of the most challenging operational environments visited during the deployment. Participants included telecommunications engineers, social workers, psychologists and volunteers working close to the contact line.

Their message to REACT was simple:

"We want to thank REACT for making the journey to Kherson; most people consider it too dangerous. It is so good to see you again and know that we are in your thoughts."

Throughout the deployment, one theme appeared consistently in feedback from participants: confidence.

No confidence that attacks will stop, or that emergencies will disappear. But confidence that if something happens, they will be better prepared to respond. And that confidence matters.

It matters to the mother who now feels able to protect her children.

It matters to the psychologist supporting traumatised families.

It matters to the demining specialist working in contaminated areas.

And it matters to the community volunteer who may find themselves first on scene when help is still minutes away.

Reflecting on the deployment, Responder Ian Corten said:

"The warmth we have received and the interest shown in the classroom has been very humbling. Although the people we have met are in the middle of a war and have no idea what the future holds for them and their families, they have given us such an incredible welcome."

The impact of Operation PACE will remain long after the teams have returned home, because the most important thing REACT leaves behind is not equipment. It is the people who are trained and ready to act when it matters most.