Ukraine: Critical health supplies destroyed by ongoing Russian attacks

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), A total of 21 warehouses were targeted this year, out of a total of 400 incidentsalmost all of them involve heavy weapons including firearms, tanks, missiles, bombs and mortars.

Speaking to UN News, WHO Communications Officer Sarah Tyler described what WHO witnessed in the hospitals and warehouses that were attacked: “When you stand in those places, you really understand what the numbers mean.

“In just three months, four warehouses used by WHO were hit and three others were destroyed…The healthcare workers I met continue to care for patients under tremendous pressure; protecting healthcare means protecting them.”

The number of victims increases

This development comes amid a wave of large-scale attacks by Russian troops in Ukraine this week. Attacks overnight into Wednesday killed at least three people in Kyiv and left hundreds of thousands without power.

This comes despite President Trump announcing last Friday an “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine.

Over the weekend, other Russian attacks included an attack in Zaporizhzhia that killed more than 20 people including four children.

After the bombing, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) highlighting “unimaginable loss” for families, and stressed that violence “should never become the norm”.

WHO has verified more than 3,300 attacks on health services since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. A total of 247 people have been killed and more than 1,090 health workers and patients injured, according to data compiled by the agency.

The agency underlined that the consequences of the attacks were not only causing damage to specific buildings. “When warehouses and other humanitarian installations are hit, medicines, medical equipment, laboratory reagents and other critical supplies can be lost, disrupting the support that health facilities need to treat patients,” explained Dr Ihor Perehinets, WHO Regional Health Emergency and Security Director.

Under pressure

He stressed that Ukrainian health workers face “tremendous pressure” while continuing to provide services.

“Protecting health services means protecting the people who provide them, as well as medical supplies, equipment and humanitarian infrastructure on which their work depends,” added Dr Perehinets.

The agency’s support in Ukraine includes emergency response, trauma care assistance, provision of medical supplies, energy security, and capacity building to respond to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents.

WHO’s 2026 appeal in Ukraine calls for $42 million to support 700,000 people.

Sustained funding is critical to sustain emergency health operations, maintain access to essential services, increase medical supplies and strengthen preparedness.