On July 10, Ukraine honors the memory of healthcare workers who lost their lives while performing their professional duties. This tradition was established at the initiative of the “Order of St. Panteleimon” award team and with the support of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
Since the beginning of Ukraine’s War of Independence, healthcare workers have been working under conditions of constant danger. Doctors, paramedics, nurses, combat medics, and emergency medical personnel rescue wounded military personnel and civilians, evacuate casualties from combat zones, and work in hospitals, stabilization centers, and mobile medical teams.
In the first quarter of 2026, the WHO verified 122 attacks on the health care system. There has been a 26% increase in attacks on medical transport. The highest number of deaths and injuries resulting from attacks continues to be recorded in emergency and secondary care facilities.
Since the start of the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the WHO has documented at least 2,933 attacks on the health care system.
The Russian Federation systematically violates the norms of international humanitarian law by shelling hospitals, outpatient clinics, ambulances, and other medical infrastructure facilities. As a result of these attacks, not only patients but also healthcare workers—who continue to perform their duties even at the risk of their own lives—are being killed and wounded.
Let us honor those who have honorably fulfilled their professional medical duties, those who have chosen not merely a profession but a path of service to life.