Notice Contents
Ukraine‐related activities of the Department of State (Department) are an oversight priority for the Office of Inspector General (OIG). OIG’s objective for this audit is to determine whether overseas missions in select Eastern European countries are prepared to respond to a variety of emergency scenarios, including risks posed by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
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U.S. embassies in the region must be prepared for a variety of emergency scenarios up to and including a possible drawdown and evacuation. U.S. Embassy Kyiv, for example, manages daily security hazards and interruptions to operations as a result of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Other posts in the region also must be prepared for a potential escalation of Russian aggression. The safety and security of U.S. citizens and personnel depends on the extent to which embassies are adequately prepared to respond to emergency situations such as cyber-attacks, infrastructure failures, civil unrest, mass casualty events, and evacuations. Inadequate emergency preparedness can jeopardize the Department’s ability to protect people, property, information, and critical infrastructure.
OIG will determine to what extent and in what matter posts identified the most likely and significant crisis scenarios and developed actionable plans to ensure they are prepared for those scenarios. OIG will also determine to what extent posts developed and implemented related drills and exercises, and how they have utilized the results of those drills and exercises to improve their preparedness. As a product of this audit, OIG aims to help strengthen the Department’s ability to respond to hazards and maintain operational continuity at posts abroad.
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OIG has other ongoing projects related to Ukraine and an expansive body of completed work. Visit OIG’s Ukraine Response Oversight page to follow our work in this area and contact us at [email protected] for additional information