Russia blocks access to medicines in territories it occupies - Lyashko

Ukraine's Health Minister has accused the Russian authorities of blocking access to medicines that should be provided by the state in the temporarily Russian-occupied territories.

He told about this in an interview with the Associated Press.

"During the entire six months of the war, Russia has not allowed proper humanitarian corridors so that we can provide our own medicines to those patients who need them. We believe that these actions are being carried out by Russia with intent, and we consider them to be crimes against humanity and war crimes that will be documented and recognized," said the minister.

The Ukrainian government has a program to provide medicines to people with oncological and chronic diseases. The publication notes that the destruction of hospitals, infrastructure and the forced displacement of approximately 7 million people also hinders the provision of medical care.

"When the roads and bridges are damaged in the territories currently controlled by the Ukrainian forces... it is difficult to get a person who has a heart attack or a stroke to the hospital. Sometimes we don't have time, the ambulance doesn't have time. That's why the war causes many more victims. This is a number that cannot be calculated," Viktor Lyashko said.

The World Health Organization said it had recorded 445 attacks on hospitals and other medical facilities as of August 11, directly resulting in 86 deaths and 105 injuries.