Ukrainian medical supply chains are under severe strain following a series of Russian airstrikes that destroyed key warehouses in Dnipro and Kyiv. Recent attacks have obliterated supplies worth nearly $200 million, significantly impacting nearly 85% of the country's pharmacies.
One major warehouse in Dnipro was hit on December 6, resulting in approximately $110 million of medicines being lost, which constitutes about 30% of the nation's monthly medical supply. Dmytro Babenko, acting director-general of pharmaceutical distributor BADM, confirmed that both missile and drone strikes were involved in the attack, leading to uncontrollable fires that destroyed the facility.
Other significant losses were reported by Optima Pharm, another major supplier, which faced multiple strikes throughout the year, including a devastating attack on their main facility in October, costing them over $100 million. Reports indicate that Russian authorities deny targeting civilian facilities, even after instances like the attack on Optima's warehouse.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which relied on the Dnipro warehouse for supplies intended to help 30,000 people, reported a loss of $195,000 worth of medication. IRC representative Andriy Moskalenko described the catastrophic scene upon arrival, expressing devastation over the loss of essential medications.
While health officials worry about immediate shortages, Babenko maintained that they hope to restore supplies within a month or six weeks. However, the ongoing conflict exacerbates an already complicated healthcare situation in Ukraine, where over 2,500 medical institutions have suffered damage and more than 500 healthcare workers have been killed since the onset of full-scale war.
The World Health Organization has recorded nearly 2,763 attacks on healthcare systems in Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, noting a 12% increase in attacks in 2025 over the previous year.
