UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Mar. 24 — Local authorities plan to forbid ambulance workers to go to the frontline settlements in the Kharkiv oblast without electronic warfare (EW) systems on their cars, said the governor Oleh Syniehubov to the national TV.

Even EW might not protect ambulance crews properly. According to Syniehubov, some ambulances have already been equipped with EW, but Russians attack cars with optic fiber drones, which are resistant to such defenses.

“We will think on this issue during the meeting of the Defense Council of the Kharkiv Region,” said the governor.

He also said that the list of “prohibited” settlements would depend on the specific situation — whether a person, injured there, will have an opportunity to reach a clinic for first aid or need to be evacuated.

On Mar. 15, the Russian FPV drone hit the ambulance in Chervona Khvylia village in the Kupiansk district, killing a driver and an emergency medic.

After that, social media users started discussion about emergency medical teams in the Kharkiv region lacking personal protective equipment — including helmets and body armor — while being “forced” to operate near the front line under the constant threat of Russian drone attacks.

Viktor Zabashta, the head of the regional Center for Emergency Medical Care and Disaster Medicine, denied these claims to Gwara Media and called the social media posts Russian propaganda.

“It’s no secret that soldiers laugh at our body armor. But the worst part is that, on paper, we’re not even there at night,” said an emergency worker, who currently works in the Kharkiv region, to local media MediaPort anonymously.

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