Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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December 5, 2025 Healthcare
A perinatal center was damaged during the attack on Kherson: walls, windows, doors, equipment, and water and gas systems were damaged. Medical staff, mothers, and newborns were able to find shelter, and there were no injuries, the World Health Organization reported on Friday.
This attack further complicates access to medical care in one of the hardest-hit regions of Ukraine, the WHO warns. Furthermore, according to the UN agency's latest data, more than 40,000 people in Kherson remain without heat and electricity following the attacks.
Between the start of the full-scale Russian invasion and December 5, 2025, the WHO recorded 2,763 attacks on Ukraine's healthcare system. These attacks disrupt medical care and threaten the health and lives of patients and medical workers across the country.
Consequences of attacks on Ukraine's healthcare system
Ukraine is facing a dual crisis: direct attacks on the healthcare system—including medical workers, facilities, and transport—and the consequences of attacks on civilian infrastructure. Interruptions in electricity, water, and heating supplies—especially during the winter months—exacerbate the plight of residents in the affected areas.
This winter, many women in Ukraine will have to give birth in the dark and cold; people recovering from injuries or heart attacks may be forced to stay in cold and damp wards; cancer surgeries will be cancelled due to power and water outages. The WHO estimates that between 150,000 and 250,000 patients in frontline hospitals and maternity wards could be left without heat and electricity.
Increase in the number of attacks
Last year, 73 health workers and patients were killed and another 405 were injured as a result of attacks on the healthcare system. In 2025, 19 deaths and 198 injuries were recorded. According to the WHO, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, 224 health workers and patients have been killed and 896 injured.
More than three-quarters of attacks confirmed by the WHO targeted healthcare facilities, and nearly a quarter targeted transport, including ambulances. This trend has persisted throughout three years of full-scale war, systematically undermining emergency response. This year, the WHO has recorded a 12 percent increase in attacks on healthcare infrastructure compared to last year. No component of the healthcare system remains safe. Tertiary care facilities, pharmacies, and warehouses are also under attack.
In frontline areas, 742 healthcare facilities were damaged or completely destroyed. Vulnerable populations have fewer opportunities to receive timely medical care, and ongoing attacks have forced many healthcare workers to flee the hardest-hit regions.
WHO support
“Attacks on the health system are a clear violation of international humanitarian law,” said WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge.
WHO supports frontline hospitals and mobile medical services in hard-to-reach areas.
In 2025, the organization delivered medical supplies worth $19.42 million to 883 healthcare facilities in Ukraine, and also helped install modular heating systems and alternative energy sources to ensure service continuity.
WHO/Europe is also helping hospitals in the Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Mykolaiv regions prepare for power outages, floods, and attacks.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.