Ukraine: state of emergency for foreign intervention extended by twelve months

The Council of Ministers has extended the state of emergency for foreign intervention by twelve months due to the ongoing events in the territory of Ukraine. The decision, taken during the meeting on October 28, 2026, is published in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, General Series no. 260 of November 7, 2026, with the official reference 26A05807. The resolution is signed by the President of the Council Giorgia Meloni and the Minister for Civil Protection and Sea Policies Nello Musumeci.

The regulatory basis of the extension

The measure is based on the combined provisions of art. 24, paragraph 3, and art. 29, paragraph 1, of the legislative decree of January 2, 2018, n. 1, the Civil Protection Code. The Council of Ministers considered that the prerequisites provided by the regulation for the extension of the state of emergency are present “in this case.”

The original declaration dates back to the resolution of November 20, 2025, by which the state of emergency was ordered for twelve months. On that occasion, 2,000,000.00 euros were also allocated from the National Emergency Fund referred to in art. 44, paragraph 1, of the same legislative decree n. 1 of 2018, for the implementation of the first urgent interventions. The new resolution therefore adds to the period already authorized, with no new expenditure indications in the published text.

Activities that remain operational

In the premises of the measure, the Government lists the reasons for maintaining the state of emergency. The interventions initiated have not been concluded and the critical context persists. In particular:

• the carrying out of urgent medical transports, including through the use of MEDEVAC modules;
• rescue and assistance to the population in foreign territory;
• the resulting needs for assistance to the affected population.

The operational tool upon which the extension is based is the ordinance of the Head of the Civil Protection Department of December 17, 2025, n. 1175, containing “Urgent civil protection provisions to ensure rescue and assistance to the population in foreign territory as a result of the events taking place in the territory of Ukraine.”

The investigation and the parties involved

The resolution reconstructs the administrative path that led to the extension. The text explicitly refers to:

• the note of October 9, 2026 from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, with which the extension of the state of emergency was formally requested;
• the note of the Head of the Civil Protection Department of October 21, 2026;
• the proposal of the Minister for Civil Protection and Sea Policies.

The measure justifies the choice also through the very nature of the institution: the state of emergency was adopted to address situations that, due to their intensity and extent, require the use of extraordinary means and powers. According to the Government, the persistence of events in Ukrainian territory and the prolonged context of criticality justify the use of that same instrument for an additional year.

What changes for citizens and operators

The extension does not introduce new funding nor does it modify the framework of the December 2025 ordinance: it confirms for another twelve months the derogatory framework that allows civil protection to operate outside national borders with extraordinary means and powers. Rescue and assistance activities for the Ukrainian population and emergency medical transports, including the MEDEVAC modules mentioned in the preamble, thus remain covered. For the operators of the civil protection system and for the entities involved in reception and assistance, resolution 26A05807 represents the legal reference framework for the following year. The text will be published, as provided by the resolution itself, in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic.

Official source: Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, General Series no. 260 of November 7, 2026 — Resolution of the Council of Ministers October 28, 2026, “Extension of the state of emergency for intervention abroad as a result of the persistence of events taking place in the territory of Ukraine”, ref. 26A05807.