Ukraine War: Healthcare Under Attack & Growing Health Crisis – 2025 Update
As Ukraine’s full-scale war enters its fifth year, attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel have reached a record high. In 2025, these attacks increased by nearly 20% compared to the previous year, exacerbating an already dire health crisis within the country. Since February 24, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) has documented at least 2881 attacks on healthcare in Ukraine, impacting not only hospitals and clinics but likewise ambulances, medical supplies, and the health workers themselves.
The escalating violence is occurring alongside sustained strikes on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, particularly its energy grid. Damage to thermal power plants has created widespread gaps in essential services, profoundly impacting public health. A WHO assessment from December 2025 revealed that 59% of individuals in frontline areas reported their health as poor or extremely poor, a significant increase from the 47% reported in non-frontline areas.
A System Under Strain
The pressures on Ukraine’s health services are multifaceted. Direct attacks on healthcare facilities are compounded by the cascading effects of infrastructure damage. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, emphasized the severity of the situation, stating, “After four years of war, health needs are increasing, but many people are unable to receive the care they need, in part because hospitals and clinics are routinely attacked.” The WHO is actively working to provide hospitals with essential resources, including supplies to maintain warmth and access to critical medications. However, Dr. Tedros underscored that “the best medicine is peace.”
In 2025, the WHO’s support reached 1.9 million people across Ukraine, focusing on service delivery, medical supplies, referrals, and capacity-building, with a particular emphasis on frontline and hard-to-reach locations. This support is crucial, but the scale of the need continues to grow.
Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, highlighted the long-term consequences of the conflict, stating, “Four years of war has created a serious health crisis in Ukraine.” He pointed to a staggering mental health burden, with 72% of surveyed individuals experiencing anxiety or depression in the past year, yet only one in five seeking help. Cardiovascular disease is on the rise, affecting one in four Ukrainians with dangerously high blood pressure, and a concerning 80% of people report difficulty accessing necessary medications. These aren’t abstract statistics; they represent real individuals – a heart patient unable to obtain blood pressure medication, an amputee facing lengthy waits for a prosthetic, or a teenager struggling with fear and isolation.
Escalation of Attacks in 2025
Despite hopes for peace negotiations, 2025 witnessed an intensification of attacks on healthcare. The third quarter of the year saw a peak, with 184 attacks resulting in 12 deaths and injuries to 110 health workers and patients. Simultaneously, attacks on medical warehouses tripled compared to the previous year, severely disrupting vital logistics and supply chains. Over the four years of the conflict, a total of 233 health workers and patients have been killed, and 930 injured in attacks on healthcare – actions that constitute clear violations of international humanitarian law. The Council on Foreign Relations’ Global Conflict Tracker provides ongoing updates on the conflict and its impact.
The Impact of Winter and Infrastructure Damage
The winter of 2025-2026 has been the most severe since the war began, with repeated strikes on energy infrastructure leaving millions without heating, electricity, and water. Many combined heat and power plants have been damaged or destroyed. In Kyiv alone, a January 2026 attack left nearly 6000 buildings without heat in subzero temperatures, prompting an estimated 600,000 residents to flee the capital.
Dr. Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative to Ukraine, described the devastating cycle: “What we are witnessing in Ukraine is a devastating cycle. A heating station is struck and thousands of homes lose heat within hours. At – 20°C, water in the pipes freezes, bursts them, floods buildings with ice. Repairs are made, then the next attack starts it all over again.” He emphasized the immense burnout among healthcare workers who are simultaneously striving to save lives while facing their own hardships without basic necessities.
The consequences extend beyond the hospital walls. Patients discharged after childbirth, recovering from injuries or heart attacks, or undergoing cancer treatment return home to apartments lacking heating, electricity, and running water. Medical progress is undermined when recovery takes place in freezing, dark conditions, turning healthcare into a daily struggle for survival.
Growing Health Needs and Access Barriers
The surge in war-related trauma injuries has increased the demand for surgery, blood products, infection prevention and control measures, antimicrobial resistance prevention, mental health services, and rehabilitation. However, access to rehabilitation remains severely limited, with only 4% of hospitals offering inpatient rehabilitation and 3% providing assistive technologies like prosthetics.
Access to medicines is a persistent barrier, with 80% of people reporting difficulties, primarily due to high prices (71%). In frontline regions, closed pharmacies, security risks, and financial constraints exacerbate the problem. Recent reports from news sources indicate ongoing efforts to address these supply chain challenges.
WHO’s Response and Future Needs
Throughout 2025, the WHO prioritized reaching vulnerable communities in hard-to-reach areas through various mechanisms. Their work encompassed crisis response, recovery efforts, and rehabilitation initiatives. This included delivering trauma care and medical supplies to 954 facilities, supporting over 1200 medical evacuations, conducting outreach in 131 hard-to-reach locations, sustaining primary healthcare and mental health services, rebuilding damaged facilities, and training over 2500 health workers.
To maintain essential health services, the WHO provided 284 generators to health facilities across 23 oblasts in Ukraine. Looking ahead to 2026, the WHO is appealing for US$42 million in funding to sustain its work and protect access to care for 700,000 people. The Institute for the Study of War provides ongoing analysis of the conflict’s dynamics and potential future developments.
The situation in Ukraine underscores the devastating impact of conflict on health systems and the urgent need for sustained international support. Addressing the immediate health needs of the population, while simultaneously strengthening the resilience of the healthcare infrastructure, will be critical for Ukraine’s recovery.