The World Health Organization (WHO) has verified 1,682 attacks on Ukraine's medical system since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which led to 128 deaths and 288 injuries to medical personnel and patients, the press service of the WHO representative office in Ukraine reported on Thursday.

At the same time, in Kherson region, according to the WHO Surveillance System for Attacks on Healthcare (SSA), employees of the centers for emergency medical care and disaster medicine, as well as other health care workers whose work is related to visits to patients, face a risk of injury, injury or death during attacks three times higher than that of other doctors.

"Many emergency crews come under fire either on their way to a call or at their bases. Already four of our employees have died, 12 people were injured and hospitalized," said Halyna Saldan, head of the Center for Emergency Medical Care and Disaster Medicine of Kherson Regional State Administration.

During the first quarter of 2024, out of 68 attacks confirmed by WHO, 12 (almost 20%) were directed at emergency medical services, including nine attacks on emergency medical facilities, seven attacks damaged ambulances and six attacks damaged emergency medical equipment. In three of these 12 attacks, four health workers were injured and two workers were killed, indicating that the number of victims was almost three times more than in other health services over the same period.

Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine, said that in the first months of 2024, the number of attacks began to increase: in January and March, attacks were recorded almost every day, mainly using heavy weapons. According to him, WHO repeats the call for the protection of medical workers and patients, as well as the uninterrupted provision of basic medical services.