Ukraine's health minister tells Berlin summit Russia has intensified attacks on pharmaceutical sector
Ukraine's Health Minister Viktor Liashko said at the World Health Summit in Berlin that Russia has stepped up strikes on Ukraine's pharmaceutical sector over the past month, hitting warehouses, production facilities and storage sites for critical medicines. He described the aim as denying Ukrainians access to essential medicines and called Russia a "terrorist state" whose goal is to destroy Ukraine and freedom.
Key points
- Health Minister Viktor Liashko spoke at a World Health Summit panel in Berlin titled "Resilience of the healthcare system: experience of Ukraine and other crisis situations".
- Liashko said Russia has intensified attacks on the pharmaceutical sector over the past month, targeting warehouses, production facilities and storage sites for critical medicines.
- He said the aim is to deny Ukrainians access to basic medicines, drugs and treatment when they need them most.
- Destruction of medicine stocks is straining the healthcare system, as patients with chronic illnesses try to buy medications in advance.
- Liashko called Russia a "terrorist state" whose goal is to destroy Ukraine and freedom.
- He called for a proper international response to Russian strikes on Ukraine's medical infrastructure.
- According to Ukrinform, a Russian attack on October 4 destroyed the KUSUM pharmaceutical plant in Sumy and killed a company employee.
Why it matters
Strikes on pharmaceutical infrastructure directly threaten Ukrainians' access to essential medicines, with particular consequences for people with chronic illnesses who depend on a steady supply. Delivering the warning at an international health forum frames the attacks as a global humanitarian concern, not just a Ukrainian one, and raises the diplomatic stakes around attacks on civilian medical infrastructure.
What happened
Ukraine's Health Minister Viktor Liashko told the World Health Summit in Berlin that Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine's pharmaceutical sector over the past month. He said the strikes have hit pharmaceutical warehouses, production facilities and storage sites for critical medicines, with the stated aim of denying Ukrainians access to basic medicines, drugs and treatment when they need them most. Liashko said the destruction of medicine stocks is putting extra strain on the healthcare system because patients with chronic illnesses try to purchase medicines in advance, forcing the system to react to sudden demand spikes and supply disruptions. He called for a proper international response to Russian strikes on Ukraine's medical infrastructure, accused Russia of being a "terrorist state" whose goal is to destroy Ukraine and freedom, and said no healthcare system alone can cope with a crisis of this scale. He added that Ukraine is continuing healthcare reforms despite the war and is ready to share its crisis experience with other countries.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Both supplied outlets are Ukrainian and carry Liashko's statements at length, including his characterization of Russia as a "terrorist state" whose goal is to destroy Ukraine and freedom. Ukrainian coverage anchors the broader claim in a specific incident: a Russian attack on Sumy on October 4 that destroyed the KUSUM pharmaceutical plant and killed a company employee, according to Ukrinform.
Background
On October 4, a Russian attack on the city of Sumy destroyed the KUSUM pharmaceutical plant and killed a company employee, according to Ukrinform. Liashko also said Ukraine continues healthcare reforms despite the war and is prepared to share its crisis-management experience with other countries.