To date, MSF teams have only been allowed entry into regions controlled by Ukrainian forces, which means they have witnessed the destruction caused by the war in Ukrainian-held territory only. Despite MSF's efforts to obtain permission to access regions under Russian occupation, this access has not been granted; MSF has therefore been unable to observe the situation in areas under Russian military control.
The following information has been collected in areas under attack (Mykolaiv, Apostolove) and areas formerly occupied by Russia and retaken by Ukrainian forces (regions of Donetsk and Kherson). The information is either based on the direct observation of MSF teams or on what MSF patients and local health staff have reported to them. While these accounts provide only a snapshot of the devastation caused by the war, they bear witness to the suffering of the civilian population.
A pattern of devastation
The frontline of the Ukrainian war stretches almost 1,000 km. Before the dramatic escalation of violence in 2022, more than 14,000 people had died in this war. Since February 2022, thousands more have been killed, wounded, or traumatized, while more than 5.3 million have been internally displaced and 8.1 million have sought refuge abroad. In response to the 2022 invasion of Russian forces, the Ukrainian military launched a counter-offensive in August 2022. By November 11, according to the Institute for the Study of War, Ukraine had re-taken 74,443 square km (28,742 square miles) previously under Russian occupation.