Almost all maternity hospitals destroyed: how Russians were ruining medical system of Mariupol

OLENA BARSUKOVA – THURSDAY, 8 DECEMBER 2022

The Russian occupiers in Mariupol have critically damaged or destroyed at least 80% of the medical infrastructure, or 82 out of 106 medical institutions.

Researchers state that the Russians destroyed four out of five multidisciplinary hospitals, more than three quarters of primary care outpatient hospitals, almost all maternity hospitals and institutions for children and the only psychiatric institution.

A related study was conducted at the Ukrainian Healthcare Center (UHC).The researchers analysed data concerning hospitals in the period from 24 February to 20 May 2022, until the full occupation of Mariupol.

 "Mariupol is one of the cities where the Russian forces used a tactic similar to the one they used in Syria, i.e., targeted bombing of hospitals with the use of aviation.

Using unguided bombs shows that hitting specific targets was not Russia’s aim. Their real objective was the destruction of civilian facilities," the report states.

Among the 82 destroyed hospitals, the UHC analysts have confirmed direct evidence in 40 cases and evidence of high probability of destruction in 42 cases.

Six more institutions could have been damaged as they were located in districts that, reportedly, were heavily attacked. Yet direct evidence of the destruction of these medical institutions has not been found.

UHC did not manage to find any information on the possible destruction of 18 more medical institutions.

The Mariupol district hospital was struck in early March, and on 15 March, it was captured by the Russian forces and allegedly used as a human shield.

Four out of five institutions that provided healthcare to mothers and their children were destroyed. On 9 March, the Russians destroyed the buildings of the Healthcare Center for Mother and Child by launching an air strike.

33 out of 46 primary care outpatient hospitals were also destroyed. This, along with the destruction of hospitals, could have led to depriving whole city districts of any medical care.

The largest number of hospitals were damaged or destroyed in the Central and Livoberezhny districts of Mariupol.

In the Central district, 84% of places providing service were damaged, and 93% were damaged in the Livoberezhny district. Analysts note that Russian forces engaged in active offensive operations in these two districts, which explains the magnitude of the damage. 

The institutions that have not been destroyed suffered from other war crimes, such as seizure and use for military purposes, forced deportation of staff and theft of equipment.

"These losses cannot be easily recovered. In the conditions of occupation and constant combat actions, they are a sign of Russians provoking a humanitarian catastrophe in the city," the report states.

The shortage of medicine, the threat of epidemics, and the residents' lack of access to humanitarian organisations are signs of the humanitarian crisis.

The UHC team believes that not only individual episodes of war crimes but also massive and systematic terror against the civilian population in Mariupol must be investigated.

"Mariupol has become the symbol of the Russian Federation not only violating some norms of the international law during the aggressive war against Ukraine but also waging this war as if the international law does not exist at all," the document states.

In the report, the UHC analysts assessed the damage caused to the medical infrastructure of Mariupol by the Russian troops in the period from 24 February to 20 May 2022.

They state that the evidence collected must be considered during future trials against the soldiers and political leadership of Russia.

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