Russia’s priority in funding the war in Ukraine has led to underfunding of healthcare. This has resulted in a shortage of medical personnel, specialists, and equipment in the Russian healthcare system.
This was reported by the UK Ministry of Defence on X (Twitter).
According to the report, the scale of Russian losses (with more than 500,000 servicemen wounded to date) continues to strain the Russian military medical system at all levels of care, causing significant logistical issues and leading to a shortage of military medical personnel.
"This negatively affects the provision of medical care and has likely led to the redistribution of medical resources from the civilian population to the military, further exacerbating the widespread impact on civilian hospitals," the report states.
According to UK intelligence, the number of medical workers in Russian hospitals serving the civilian population will continue to decline throughout 2025.
Reports indicate that in 2024, at least 160 state hospitals in Russia were closed, including 18 maternity wards and at least 10 children's clinics. As a result of hospital closures, the civilian population in small towns and villages is often left without medical assistance, including limited pre-hospital care, the UK Ministry of Defence noted.
