Warehouses supplying the vast majority of Ukraine's pharmacies have been destroyed in a series of Russian attacks over recent months.
Medical supplies worth about $200 million (£145 million) were destroyed in just two strikes in December and October.
A large warehouse storing medicines in the city of Dnipro was destroyed in a Russian air strike on 6 December. As a result, about $110 million worth of medicines were destroyed - estimated at up to 30% of Ukraine's monthly supply.
It was a missile and drone strike against our facility. The missiles flew past, but the drones hit it, said Dmytro Babenko, acting director-general of pharmaceutical distributor BADM.
They caused a fire which unfortunately proved impossible to contain and the whole facility was destroyed.
BADM is one of two companies that supply about 85% of Ukrainian pharmacies in roughly equal shares.
The other company is Optima Pharm, whose warehouses have been hit three times this year - on 28 August, 25 October, and 15 November.
The October attack destroyed its main storage facility in Kyiv, costing the company more than $100 million, says Optima Pharm's chief financial officer Artem Suprun.
Russia denies hitting civilian targets, but when the Optima Pharm warehouse was hit in October, the defense ministry in Moscow said only that it had targeted a factory producing drones.
On the day BADM's warehouse was destroyed, Russia claimed it had hit a warehouse storing military equipment as well as energy and transport infrastructure.
Such attacks significantly complicate the treatment of sick and wounded in Ukraine, after almost four years of full-scale war.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which had been using the warehouse in Dnipro, reported losses of $195,000 worth of medication and supplies, which could have served 30,000 people.
The IRC stated the Dnipro facility had served as a critical hub for hospitals, healthcare providers, pharmacies and humanitarian actors.
Mr. Babenko from BADM expressed concern over the kinds of medicines destroyed, emphasizing their vital importance and that they are not produced in Ukraine.
Despite the severity of the situation, he remains hopeful for a quick recovery of supplies, estimating restoration in one to one-and-a-half months.
Ukrainian authorities accuse Russia of deliberately targeting healthcare infrastructure, with claims from the World Health Organization indicating over 2,763 attacks on Ukraine's healthcare system since the start of the invasion. Reports also reveal that over 2,500 medical institutions have been damaged, resulting in over 500 medical workers dead.
Medical supplies worth about $200 million (£145 million) were destroyed in just two strikes in December and October.
A large warehouse storing medicines in the city of Dnipro was destroyed in a Russian air strike on 6 December. As a result, about $110 million worth of medicines were destroyed - estimated at up to 30% of Ukraine's monthly supply.
It was a missile and drone strike against our facility. The missiles flew past, but the drones hit it, said Dmytro Babenko, acting director-general of pharmaceutical distributor BADM.
They caused a fire which unfortunately proved impossible to contain and the whole facility was destroyed.
BADM is one of two companies that supply about 85% of Ukrainian pharmacies in roughly equal shares.
The other company is Optima Pharm, whose warehouses have been hit three times this year - on 28 August, 25 October, and 15 November.
The October attack destroyed its main storage facility in Kyiv, costing the company more than $100 million, says Optima Pharm's chief financial officer Artem Suprun.
Russia denies hitting civilian targets, but when the Optima Pharm warehouse was hit in October, the defense ministry in Moscow said only that it had targeted a factory producing drones.
On the day BADM's warehouse was destroyed, Russia claimed it had hit a warehouse storing military equipment as well as energy and transport infrastructure.
Such attacks significantly complicate the treatment of sick and wounded in Ukraine, after almost four years of full-scale war.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which had been using the warehouse in Dnipro, reported losses of $195,000 worth of medication and supplies, which could have served 30,000 people.
The IRC stated the Dnipro facility had served as a critical hub for hospitals, healthcare providers, pharmacies and humanitarian actors.
Mr. Babenko from BADM expressed concern over the kinds of medicines destroyed, emphasizing their vital importance and that they are not produced in Ukraine.
Despite the severity of the situation, he remains hopeful for a quick recovery of supplies, estimating restoration in one to one-and-a-half months.
Ukrainian authorities accuse Russia of deliberately targeting healthcare infrastructure, with claims from the World Health Organization indicating over 2,763 attacks on Ukraine's healthcare system since the start of the invasion. Reports also reveal that over 2,500 medical institutions have been damaged, resulting in over 500 medical workers dead.
