Working through war: the people behind eGA’s projects in Ukraine
Air raid alerts, sleepless nights and disrupted transport are part of everyday life for the eGA team in war-torn Ukraine. As Russian attacks intensify, the team is finding ways to keep its work moving.
Inna Tkachenko lives in Brovary, a town on the outskirts of Kyiv, east of the Dnipro River. She works as an eGA expert in the Continued EU Support to Cybersecurity (EU4CyberUA) project.
In recent weeks, Brovary, like nearby Kyiv, has faced increasingly intense Russian missile and drone attacks, both day and night. For residents, the threat has become a constant presence in daily life.
“It’s really hard emotionally. The constant air raid alerts and knowing you’re never completely safe weigh on you, even when you try not to think about it,” Inna says.
“And then there’s the exhaustion. When explosions or air raid alerts keep waking you up at night, you never get enough sleep. But the next morning, you still have to focus, make decisions and get on with your work as usual.”
Living with daily disruptions
In Kyiv, air raid alerts can last up to 20 hours a day, forcing supermarkets, post offices and banks to suspend operations. Even simple errands become difficult to plan.
Getting around is another major challenge, particularly for those living on the left bank of the Dnipro River and in nearby towns. Public transport stops running during air raid alerts, metro services across the river are suspended, and attacks on roads and bridges add further complications.
“With the attacks on roads and bridges, getting around has become harder and harder. You never really know if you’ll be able to make it to the office, get to a meeting or simply do what you had planned,” Inna says.
“And then there’s the fear. Every time you cross a bridge, you know a missile or drone could fly overhead at any moment, or there could be an explosion right next to you.
A car burned in an explosion on one of Kyiv’s main streets.
The challenge of keeping projects running
The war has also changed how the eGA team in Ukraine operates. From routine meetings to large-scale events, safety has become a key consideration in planning and carrying out project activities.
“When we organise large-scale events now, the first thing we have to think about is safety,” says Dmytro Savranchuk, Deputy Team Leader for EU4CyberUA project at eGA.
“Recently, for example, we organised the CISO Forum as part of the EU4CyberUA project, bringing together around 200 participants. One of the biggest challenges was finding a venue with a shelter large enough to accommodate everyone. In some cases, we have to cancel or scale back planned events and activities because the safety of our colleagues, partners and participants must always come first.”
Meetings can be interrupted by air raid alerts, travel arrangements can fall through, deliveries can be damaged, and activities sometimes have to be postponed. The team has to be prepared for plans to change at any moment.
A building in Kyiv next to the one where an EU4CyberUA project event was held.
Continuing despite the uncertainty
Despite the war, the eGA team in Ukraine continues to work with partners and move the project forward. Behind this work are people facing the same fears, exhaustion, and uncertainty as millions of other Ukrainians.
For Inna, what helps her carry on is the hope that one day life will return to normal.
“I think what helps me get through this, above all, is faith. Faith in our victory, in the people who defend our country every day, and in the belief that one day all of this will be behind us,” she says.
“I want to live to see the day when we can simply live. When we don’t react to every explosion, don’t count the hours of air raid alerts, don’t have to think about whether it’s safe to cross a bridge or just go outside for coffee with friends without discussing ‘How was your night?’”
