Russian strikes on Ukraine’s drug supply chain leave pharmacy shelves empty
Ukrainians last saw pharmacy shelves this empty in the first weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Russia has been conducting missile strikes on Ukraine's pharmaceutical supply chain, leading to empty pharmacy shelves and a potential shortage of life-saving medications. Ukrainian chronic illness patients have resorted to asking strangers online to buy and mail their medicine, as local pharmacies run out of critical treatments.
Russian strikes on pharmaceutical warehouses and logistics facilities have damaged or destroyed facilities that produce, store, and distribute medicines across Ukraine. In September alone, Russian strikes targeted pharmaceutical warehouses seven times, and the attacks continued into October. The repeated strikes on logistics hubs belonging to major pharmaceutical distributors like BaDM and Optima-Pharm have disrupted the supply chain.
While a nationwide shortage has not yet occurred, experts warn that gaps in supply could emerge as pharmacies' stocks dwindle. Some medications, such as Levothyroxine for thyroid conditions and the Qlaira pill for hormonal management, are particularly hard to find, forcing patients to seek alternatives or face potential health risks.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
