Russia inflicts $17 billion in damage on Ukraine's healthcare system

Deputy Minister of Health Edem Adamanov reported that 2,167 healthcare facilities have been damaged or destroyed in Russian attacks, with the worst-hit areas including Kharkiv, Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions. The full extent of damage to medical facilities in the occupied territories is still unclear.

The ministry also noted that one in five ambulances in Ukraine has been damaged. 

According to the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment from the Ukrainian government, the World Bank, and the European Commission, the total damage to the healthcare sector is currently estimated at $17.8 billion. The cost of rebuilding and restoring healthcare services in Ukraine between 2024 and 2033 is expected to exceed $14.2 billion, and these numbers continue to grow due to ongoing missile attacks.

The Deputy Minister reminded that targeting hospitals, maternity wards, and other medical infrastructure is a clear violation of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Convention.

• On August 19, it was reported that since Russia's full-scale invasion began, there had been 1,940 recorded attacks on Ukraine's healthcare system - the highest number the World Health Organization (WHO) has ever documented in any humanitarian emergency globally to date.