A difficult year ahead for Ukraine
11.01.2026
Reading time
3 minutes
Amid reports of new peace plans for Ukraine, war continues on its territory every day. Civilians are dying and suffering. In 2025, their number decreased by 25% compared to the previous year. Shelling and bombings also affected energy infrastructure (even 4500 attacks in 2025) and healthcare facilities (over 570 attacks). The first days of 2026 show that Russian attacks will be just as intense. The UN estimates that nearly 11 million residents of Ukraine will need humanitarian aid this year.
The average monthly number of civilian deaths in 2025 was over 200 – such a tragic toll of the war in Ukraine has not been seen for three years and the first months of its escalation. This is primarily the result of massive air and drone attacks, with which the Russian army terrorizes Ukrainian civilians. Along with the winter months, the number of attacks on energy infrastructure also increased. In total, there were over 4500 such attacks last year, and they continue in the first days of January. This has led to severe disruptions in electricity and heating supply, with temperatures well below zero.
– It is clear that the aim of Russian attacks is to intimidate the civilian population and make everyday life difficult. Since the beginning of the escalation, healthcare has been attacked over 2800 times. This is the highest number of such attacks in the 21st century – says Małgorzata Olasińska-Chart from the Polish Medical Mission.
This situation largely affects access to medical care near the front lines. Destroyed medical points can no longer function as before, and medical personnel themselves are also evacuated. Mobile clinics fill the gap, such as those run by the Polish Medical Mission in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions. They serve as mobile outpatient clinics, but in addition to doctors, the clinic teams also include pharmacists and psychologists.
– Mental health is one of the most neglected problems of this conflict. 75% of patients in our clinics report needing psychological help. Medical personnel themselves are also at the limit of endurance: remember, they are also victims of this war – adds Ewa Piekarska-Dymus from the Polish Medical Mission.
PMM clinics in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions conduct about 1000 medical consultations per month. Patients are mainly elderly people: seniors over 65 make up more than 50% of those examined. Across Ukraine, the Polish Medical Mission also assists pregnant women and newborns. In a project co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Polish organization supports neonatal units throughout Ukraine, providing them with equipment and conducting training for doctors and patients.
