| No images? Click here  Saturday, 06 December 2025 Kherson maternity ward struck as attacks on Ukraine’s health care escalate and the fourth winter of full-scale invasion sets in
5 December 29025 | Copenhagen - On Thursday, 4 December 2025, a maternity ward in Kherson was attacked, damaging walls, windows, doors, equipment, and water and gas supply. While health-care staff, mothers and newborns were able to seek shelter with no injuries reported, the attack further compromises health-care access in one of Ukraine’s most-affected regions, where medical services are already under severe strain. According to reports, more than 40 000 people in Kherson are without heating and electricity following the attacks. Since the start of the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation, WHO has verified 2763 attacks on health care in Ukraine, as of 5 December 2025. These attacks continue to disrupt essential and life-saving services as well as putting the lives and health of patients and health-care workers at serious risk across the country. As winter sets in, the burden on Ukraine’s health system growsThe country faces a dual crisis: direct attacks on health care, including health workers, facilities and medical transport, and the cascading effects of strikes on civilian infrastructure. Disruptions to electricity, water and heating systems – experienced most acutely during winter months when temperatures drop to an average of -5–10 °C – deepen the challenges of delivering health-care services in war-affected areas. WHO estimates that around 150 000–250 000 patients in frontline hospitals and maternity clinics may be left without heating and electricity. This winter, many women in Ukraine will give birth in the dark and cold; people recovering from injuries or heart attacks may have to contend with cold and damp wards; and crucial cancer surgeries will be cancelled because power and water supplies have been knocked out. Over three quarters of attacks on health care verified by WHO have targeted health facilities, while nearly one quarter have impacted medical transport, including ambulances. This pattern has persisted throughout the last 3 years of full-scale war, systematically impacting the country’s capacity to respond to medical emergencies. This year, WHO has documented a 12% increase in attacks on health infrastructure compared to the previous year. In frontline oblasts, 742 health service delivery units have been fully or partially damaged, reducing access to medical care for communities living near active hostility zones. Vulnerable populations in these areas have less access to timely medical assistance, while repeated attacks have prompted many health workers to relocate from the most affected regions. Frontline areas face the heaviest burden, suffering from recurring attacks that further weaken already fragile health services. All levels of the health system impactedSince the start of the full-scale invasion, primary health care facilities have faced 39% of all attacks, secondary care facilities (including hospitals) another 30%, and emergency medical transport 21%. No component of the health system remains safe. Tertiary care facilities, pharmaceutical services and medical warehouses have also been affected, accounting for 6%, 3% and 1% of attacks, respectively. “Attacks on health facilities and infrastructure continue to endanger lives and disrupt vital care,” said Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine. “Yet Ukraine’s health workers show remarkable resilience, saving lives under the hardest conditions. WHO stands with them – providing alternative sources of power, heating and water, vital medical supplies, and training to strengthen hospitals against all hazards. Together, we are helping to keep health services running, even in the face of relentless challenges.” Last year, 73 health workers and patients were killed and 405 injured in attacks on health care. So far in 2025, 19 have been killed and 198 more wounded. Since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, 224 health workers and patients have lost their lives in attacks on health care, while 896 have been injured. “Attacks on health care are clear violations of international humanitarian law,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “WHO continues to advocate for the protection of all health facilities, health workers and patients, and calls for safe access to health-care services free from violence, threat or fear.” WHO’s response is focused on supporting Ukraine’s health system amid the ongoing crisis. Immediate actions include delivering essential medical supplies, expanding mobile health services to hard-to-reach areas, and providing rapid support to frontline hospitals. In 2025, WHO delivered supplies worth US$ 19.42 million to 883 facilities and helped install modular heating units and alternative power sources to maintain services during winter disruptions. Through the Strengthening Hospital Readiness in Ukraine initiative, WHO/Europe is supporting hospitals in Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv and Mykolaiv with guidance on preparing for power outages, floods or attacks. Related:
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