NATO and Ukrainian officials brought together more than 40 experts in Warsaw for a three-day workshop focused on how essential public services can continue operating during war and other major security crises. The event, hosted from 14 to 16 January by NATO’s International Staff and Poland’s Government Centre for Security, examined lessons emerging from Ukraine’s experience since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Participants from Ukraine, Finland, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the United States compared national and local coordination systems used to keep critical infrastructure functioning under pressure. Ukrainian representatives from the national government and from the Chernihiv, Dnipro, Odesa and Sumy regions described how authorities have adapted decision-making and emergency structures to respond rapidly when infrastructure is damaged or disrupted.
The discussions covered the continuity of energy supplies, communications, medical evacuation, food distribution, shelter and transportation. Ukraine’s decentralisation system was highlighted as an important factor because it allows regional and local civilian and military administrators to adjust structures and resources according to changing conditions on the ground.
NATO said the experience gathered from Ukraine will be shared with Allies as they review their own national resilience arrangements. The workshop formed part of a broader effort to improve civilian preparedness and ensure that societies can continue supporting both populations and military operations during prolonged crises.