In 2025, health care attacks in Ukraine surged by 20% compared to 2024, impacting medical facilities and workers significantly amidst ongoing conflict.
As Ukraine enters the fifth year of its ongoing warfare, the consequences for its health sector have become increasingly severe. In 2025, the number of attacks on health care providers rose significantly, by nearly 20% compared to the previous year, highlighting a critical escalation in the crisis affecting the nation. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that since the onset of full-scale war on February 24, 2022, there have been at least 2,881 documented attacks on health-related facilities, personnel, ambulances, and medical supply warehouses.
The health services in Ukraine are facing unprecedented pressure from two major challenges: the direct assaults on health infrastructure and the indirect consequences stemming from strikes on essential civilian facilities, particularly thermal power plants essential for maintaining the country’s energy grid. This disruption has exacerbated the health crisis, leaving considerable gaps in access to needed medical care. According to a WHO assessment conducted in December 2025, approximately 59% of respondents in frontline regions reported their health as poor or very poor, a sharp contrast to the 47% in non-frontline areas.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, emphasized the increased health needs within the population, noting that many are unable to receive essential care due to the frequent targeting of hospitals and clinics. “WHO is working together with Ukraine’s dedicated health workforce to ensure that health facilities are equipped to stay operational—providing warmth and the necessary medications,” he said. He concluded with a reminder that, fundamentally, “the best remedy is peace.”
In 2025, the WHO’s efforts managed to support approximately 1.9 million individuals throughout Ukraine via service delivery, provision of medical supplies, facilitating referrals, and enhancing health system capacity, especially in frontline areas and locations that are harder to access.
Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO’s Regional Director for Europe, recognized the grave health crisis that has unfolded over the years of conflict. He indicated that mental health needs in the country are alarming, with a staggering 72% of survey respondents reporting that they experienced anxiety or depression in the previous year, while only 20% sought assistance. Furthermore, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease has escalated, with one in four Ukrainians experiencing dangerously high blood pressure. Additional concerns are evident, with 80% of the population struggling to access necessary medications. This distressing situation affects many, from heart patients unable to obtain blood pressure medicines to amputees waiting for prosthetics and teenagers fearful of leaving their homes. Kluge asserted that continuous support for Ukraine's health system is crucial.
In 2025, incidents of violence against health care reached a distressing peak, particularly noticeable in the third quarter of the year. During this period, there were 184 recorded attacks, resulting in the loss of 12 lives and injuring 110 health workers and patients. Concurrently, assaults on medical supply warehouses increased threefold relative to the previous year, severely disrupting the logistics necessary for delivering healthcare across the nation. Over the last four years, nearly 233 healthcare professionals and patients have lost their lives due to such attacks, while 930 have sustained injuries. Notably, these attacks are classified as violations of international humanitarian law.
This winter has proven especially harsh since the war began, with a series of attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure leading to widespread loss of heating, electricity, and potable water. Damage to several combined heat and power plants further contributed to this crisis. A specific strike in January 2026 in Kyiv left nearly 6,000 buildings without heating amid freezing conditions, resulting in approximately 600,000 residents fleeing the capital.
Dr. Jarno Habicht, WHO’s Representative to Ukraine, described the dire situation, stating, “What we are witnessing in Ukraine is a devastating cycle. Strikes on heating stations cause immediate loss of warmth for thousands, and in sub-zero temperatures, water in pipes freezes and bursts, leading to flooding. Repairs are conducted, but further attacks quickly disrupt this process again. This creates immense hardship for families, older individuals, and health care workers who are striving to save lives while facing the absence of heat, water, and electricity in their own homes. The strain after four years of war is monumental, and the demand for health services has reached unprecedented levels.”
Patients discharged post-birth, individuals recuperating from injuries or heart attacks, and those recovering or awaiting critical cancer surgeries return to homes devoid of heating, power, or running water. This lack of basic services critically undermines the effectiveness of medical care provided in hospitals, transforming patient recovery into a daily survival struggle.
The increase in war-related traumatic injuries has led to soaring demand for surgical interventions, blood supplies, infection control measures, mental health services, and rehabilitation efforts. However, access to rehabilitation remains regrettably limited; only 4% of hospitals can provide inpatient rehabilitation, and a mere 3% offer essential assistive technologies, such as prosthetics and corrective devices.
Difficulties in accessing medications remain a chronic issue, with 80% of the population reporting challenges, chiefly attributed to exorbitant prices—a concern for 71% of respondents. In frontline areas, the situation is even more critical, marked by the closure of pharmacies, security threats, and economic strain.
In its mission to sustain health services in the face of such adversity, WHO has deployed various methods to engage with communities, focusing particularly on vulnerable groups in remote regions. Their comprehensive approach encompasses:
To ensure vital health services continue, WHO has supplied 284 generators to health facilities across 23 regions in Ukraine. Looking ahead to 2026, WHO is appealing for $42 million in funding to maintain its ongoing initiatives within Ukraine and secure care for an estimated 700,000 people.
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