Doctors Without Borders: Russia Is Systematically Destroying Ukraine's Healthcare System

Documented Attacks and Civilian Casualties

According to the report, MSF has lost or had to cease operations at more than 20 of its own or supported medical facilities since April 2022. Mobile teams have been denied access to more than 80 Ukrainian villages where they had previously provided basic medical care.

The World Health Organization (WHO) documented a total of 2,811 attacks on medical facilities in Ukraine between February 2022 and the end of 2025. The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) estimates the number of civilians killed since the start of the war at around 15,000.

Legal Classification as a War Crime

MSF referenced a UN resolution adopted ten years ago that classifies deliberate attacks on medical personnel or medical vehicles as war crimes. The organization stated: "Wenn Krankenhäuser wiederholt getroffen oder Rettungswagen mit Drohnen angegriffen würden, sei dies ein Muster, hinter dem eine Absicht stecke."

The consequences for medical care are, according to MSF, severe. At a hospital supported by the organization in Kherson in southern Ukraine, the number of doctors has declined by approximately 66 percent since 2022. Many remaining facilities near the front lines are significantly understaffed.

Impact on Medical Care

The aid organization also warns that the nature of injuries has changed: the proportion of injuries caused by drone attacks has risen significantly recently. Those affected frequently suffer multiple injuries simultaneously, which increases the risk of infections and sepsis.

According to MSF, the fear of attacks is leading to a considerable deterioration in access to healthcare for the Ukrainian population. Patients, as well as medical personnel, are avoiding traveling to or working in hospitals out of concern for further attacks.

Russia has so far neither publicly rejected nor confirmed the accusations. Independent verification of the individual attacks by international observers is difficult given the ongoing fighting. The WHO and the UN monitoring mission base their documentation on reports from local authorities, hospitals, and witness testimony.

The MSF report was presented on July 13, 2026 on the German radio program Deutschlandfunk. It joins a growing number of international documentations accusing Russia of war crimes against Ukraine's civilian infrastructure.