Across Ukraine, medics rush toward the sound of shelling — not away from it. They carry no weapons, only gauze, tourniquets, and courage.
Yet the red cross on their vehicles, once a universal symbol of protection, has become a bull’s eye.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 2,200 attacks have struck hospitals, clinics, and ambulances since the full-scale invasion began in 2022 — the highest number ever recorded in any conflict.
Over 600 medical vehicles have been destroyed, and ambulance crews face a risk of injury or death three times higher than other healthcare workers.
As one Ukrainian paramedic told Al Jazeera in July 2025, Russian forces now “chase ambulances.” What was once humanitarian law has become open season on those who save lives.
Drone warfare has transformed the battlefield. Drones now patrol every road and field, striking at the first sign of movement.
The critical “golden hour” — the window when a wounded person can be saved — has vanished. Medics perform surgery-level interventions in bunkers, under drones and shellfire, often without electricity or anesthesia.
One frontline medic, speaking anonymously in January 2025, described the toll: “You can’t remember the faces anymore. Sometimes there are hundreds in a single day… and so many have massive wounds. You can’t save everyone.”
In Ukraine’s east, where hospitals once served millions, most medical staff have fled. Those who remain work until their hands shake, keeping the wounded alive with what little remains.
The cost is more than physical. Exhaustion and trauma have become universal among Ukraine’s healthcare workers.
After years of nonstop casualties, WHO observers describe widespread burnout and moral injury.
The emotional scars run deep, but so does the determination. Every medic who stays fights two battles — one against the wounds they treat, and one against despair.
Every manual printed, every course delivered, every medic trained is a life multiplier. In a war where hospitals are under fire and ambulances targeted, training is the only weapon that saves lives.
“You can’t remember the faces anymore. Sometimes there are hundreds in a single day… and so many have massive wounds. You can’t save everyone.”
To help meet this crisis, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) is providing critical funding to the American-Ukrainian Medical Foundation (AUMF) for a landmark project to train and equip Ukraine’s next generation of medics.
AUMF is translating and adapting the world-standard Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) textbook into Ukrainian — creating the first unified trauma-care curriculum for a nation at war.
With CUF’s support, this project delivers lifesaving knowledge directly to the field, enabling Ukrainian trainers to teach new medics in the hardest-hit regions, where evacuation is often impossible.
Ukraine’s medics stand in the fire for others. Now they need us to stand with them.
About the Author
Bohdan Cherniawski, SBStJ, CD, BScN, RN, is a trauma nurse, military veteran, and board member of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation.
A recipient of the Venerable Order of St. John of Jerusalem, he has led medical and humanitarian initiatives across Ukraine and Eastern Europe.
Ukraine’s medics stand in the fire for others. Now they need us to stand with them.
Help train and equip Ukraine’s lifesavers. Because courage alone isn’t enough — knowledge saves lives.
Donate today at CUFOUNDATION.CA
About the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF)
Founded in 1995, CUF has a strong track record of providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in the areas of healthcare, education and civil society. CUF collaborates with aid providers in Ukraine, Canada, and beyond to maximize impact and cost-effectiveness of your support.