Russian Strikes Devastate Ukraine's Medical Supplies, Threatening Healthcare

Sun Dec 14 2025 01:25:55 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A series of Russian attacks have led to the destruction of crucial medical warehouses in Ukraine, resulting in a staggering loss of healthcare resources at a time of urgent need.

Recent Russian strikes have targeted key medical warehouses in Ukraine, destroying supplies worth approximately $200 million. The attacks have severely impacted the availability of essential medicines, complicating healthcare delivery amid ongoing conflict. Authorities warn that Russian forces are deliberately targeting civilian supply chains critical to medical care.

Warehouses supplying the vast majority of Ukraine's pharmacies have been destroyed in a series of Russian attacks over recent months.

Medical supplies worth about $200 million (£145 million) were destroyed in just two strikes in December and October.

A large warehouse storing medicines in the city of Dnipro was destroyed in a Russian air strike on 6 December, resulting in a loss of about $110 million worth of medicines - estimated to be up to 30% of Ukraine's monthly supply.

It was a missile and drone strike against our facility. The missiles flew past, but the drones hit it, said Dmytro Babenko, acting director-general of pharmaceutical distributor BADM.

They caused a fire which unfortunately proved impossible to contain, and the whole facility was destroyed. BADM, along with Optima Pharm, is responsible for supplying about 85% of Ukrainian pharmacies.

Optima Pharm has experienced multiple attacks this year, with significant losses including the destruction of its main storage facility in Kyiv in October, costing the company over $100 million.

Despite denials from Russia regarding targeting civilian structures, evidence suggests otherwise. On the day BADM's warehouse was destroyed, Russian officials claimed to target military equipment, while the destruction directly affected civilian infrastructure.

These recent attacks further complicate the treatment of the sick and wounded in Ukraine amid ongoing conflict. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) reported losing $195,000 worth of medications and supplies sufficient for 30,000 people.

Andriy Moskalenko from the IRC expressed devastation over the loss, highlighting the critical role the Dnipro warehouse played as a hub for medical supplies.

According to Ukrainian officials, more than 2,500 medical institutions have been damaged or destroyed since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion, with over 500 medical professionals reportedly killed.

As of now, a significant number of essential medicines have been lost due to these attacks, though some officials remain hopeful that supplies can be restored within a month to six weeks.

Ukrainian authorities continue to push back against claims that medical infrastructures are not being deliberately targeted, citing the extensive impact on healthcare delivery across the nation.