Summary of needs
Based on the findings of the 2024 Gaps and Needs Analysis survey, the humanitarian logistics response in Ukraine in 2025 will continue to focus on several key needs critical for the smooth delivery of aid. The availability of safe storage facilities in front-line oblasts remains a priority to ensure humanitarian supplies are securely stored and readily accessible for distribution. Humanitarian access challenges persist, particularly in areas affected by hostilities, requiring coordinated efforts to maintain operational security. Training and skills development for logistics personnel remain essential to enhance operational efficiency, particularly in complex and volatile environments. Furthermore, there is a need to boost Geographic Information System (GIS) and mapping capabilities for the humanitarian community, as these are crucial for accurately navigating hard-to-reach areas, planning safe routes and assessing infrastructure conditions in real time.
Logistics operations also face growing demands for energy autonomy to ensure uninterrupted activities, as well as an adequate workforce to keep the supply chain functioning. These efforts are also complicated by national legislation and importation procedures, particularly by restrictions on bringing supplies and equipment needed for the operations through the simplified procedures for humanitarian aid, which hinder the rapid movement of supplies and the humanitarian programme.
Frequent shelling, road infrastructure damage, destroyed or inaccessible storage facilities, humanitarian access constraints, legislation complexities, landmines and security risks across the country, particularly in the eastern, north-eastern and southern regions, further challenge the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Considering lessons from emergency response operations in Sumska and Kharkivska oblasts in May 2024, as well as the unfolding crisis in Pokrovsk, Donetska Oblast, since August 2024, there is a growing concern of further front-line shifts and broadening of the area of active fighting. This potential shift sharpens the need for enhanced logistics preparedness and coordination across Ukraine to ensure uninterrupted humanitarian aid flow.
Response strategy
In 2025, addressing complex logistics constraints is crucial to ensure that life-saving assistance reaches affected people in a timely and efficient manner. This includes coordinating logistic efforts, providing access to relevant operational information, facilitating access to common logistics services and strengthening support for capacity development, and training facilitation for humanitarian organizations and personnel. Through these activities, reflected in the Concept of Operations (ConOps) and ConOps Map, the Cluster will support the humanitarian community in its efforts to deliver life-saving assistance to those most in need.
Throughout 2025, the Logistics Cluster will maintain a flexible approach, allowing for the adaptation of its activities and services to respond to the evolving context and situational demands. In close coordination with its partners, the Logistics Cluster will scale its capacities up or down as necessary, ensuring responsiveness to emerging gaps and needs. The Cluster will enhance logistics coordination by chairing regular coordination meetings at both national and sub-national levels across its three hubs in Kyiv, Dnipro and Odesa to maximize resource and minimize duplication. These coordination platforms will draw on shared proficiency to evaluate operational requirements and adjust strategies to meet the needs of humanitarian partners.
Aligned with its core mandate, the Logistics Cluster will also provide access to logistical operational information through various platforms, including a dedicated operational web page, mapping, LogIE, mailing lists and other relevant tools. These platforms are designed to increase awareness among partners and assist in decision- making by collecting, analysing and disseminating key logistics data from both humanitarian organizations and public/private sources. The primary aim is to enhance operational predictability, timeliness and efficiency, ensuring that humanitarian logistics remain responsive to evolving needs.
The Logistics Cluster will continue facilitating access to common logistics services, including temporary storage and road transport, with particular emphasis on supporting inter-agency humanitarian convoys. These services are part of a collaborative humanitarian effort to reach vulnerable people in hard-to-reach areas and areas affected by hostilities, especially in the eastern, north-eastern and southern regions of Ukraine. Humanitarian partners are strongly encouraged to use commercially available logistics solutions whenever feasible to ensure that free-to-user services remain available for the most critical operations in hard-to-reach areas.
The international NGO, Humanity and Inclusion (HI), through its operational unit, Atlas Logistique, will continue to play a key complementary role in supporting the humanitarian community by directly providing logistical technical expertise, primarily through free-to-user common logistics services, and opening humanitarian access to the most hard-to-reach locations. The Logistics Cluster and Atlas Logistique/HI will coordinate closely to ensure complementary geographical coverage, focusing on high-risk areas and avoiding duplication of efforts.
In 2025, Atlas Logistique/HI will continue to offer free-to-user common services, specifically storage and road transport across Ukraine, with a priority focus on covering high-risk areas, medical cargo (including temperature-controlled and cold chain cargo and storage) and support for local stakeholders. Atlas Logistique/HI will assess needs and provide capacity-building to partners based on identified gaps in the management of logistics services, such as Warehouse or Transport Management training modules. Atlas Logistique/HI will maintain a flexible approach, adapting its activities and services to the evolving context and situational needs in coordination with its partners.
To meet the need for developing the logistics capacity of humanitarian personnel, the Logistics Cluster will continue to prioritize upskilling of humanitarian aid workers, with an emphasis on local responders. This will be achieved through focused logistics training sessions, specifically designed to strengthen the logistics knowledge and skills required to effectively manage and adapt to the rapidly changing and complex operational landscape in Ukraine.
Cost of response
Drawing from the 2024 trends in service requests, the Logistics Cluster will require $5.1 million for its response in 2025. Of this total, $4,484,000 will be allocated for common logistics services, such as transport and storage, while $520,000 is required for coordination and information management, and $119,800 for capacity-building sessions. Regular assessments of the logistics needs ensure that logistical strategies are effectively aligned with the evolving challenges and priorities on the ground.
