Russia Targets Ukrainian Healthcare with Systematic Drone and Missile Attacks

Russian forces are increasingly targeting medical facilities, ambulances, and healthcare workers in Ukraine through the use of missiles and first-person view drones. The World Health Organization has registered 3,118 attacks on healthcare since February 2022, noting a 30% increase in 2024. These operations include "double-tap" tactics, where a second strike follows the first to kill arriving first responders.

Recent strikes have targeted a hospital in Kherson and warehouses belonging to three UN agencies, including the WHO. Doctors Without Borders describes these as systematic and deliberate attacks, which have forced the organization to pause ambulance services in Sloviansk due to security risks. The sustained campaign has pushed medical clinics further from the frontlines, leaving elderly civilians in conflict zones without essential health services.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for increased international pressure on Russia to end these "hunting attacks." Medical organizations continue to report that the rules of war are not being respected as healthcare infrastructure is targeted across the country, including massive air attacks in Kyiv.