Systematic Russian attacks on Ukraine’s hospitals, ambulances, and medical suppliers are causing a cascading public health crisis, – Lesia Orobets , together with Elena Davlikanova, in an article for the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA).
During the winter, Russia is attempting to destroy Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which particularly affects the most vulnerable sections of the population and significantly increases the risk of avoidable illness and mortality.
Over one million residents of Kyiv were left without heating and electricity during temperatures as low as –20°C, while many others lost access to to water supplies.
The attacks are proof that, far from looking for peace, Vladimir Putin is trying to break Ukraine and achieve his aims by killing more non-combatants. Assaults on energy infrastructure and medical facilities during the coldest season are simply an attempt at mass murder.
According to the World Health Organization, since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, 2,763 attacks on healthcare facilities in Ukraine have been documented. These attacks have resulted in 224 deaths among medical staff and patients, with an additional 896 injured.
For more than four years, Russia has been trying to deprive Ukrainians of access to medical care, ‘returning’ the country to the Middle Ages and forcing people to capitulate. However, Ukraine’s healthcare system continues to function thanks to the dedication of doctors and medical workers.
Read more in the full article on CEPA.