The World Health Organization confirmed on Saturday that one of its humanitarian warehouses in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro was destroyed during a Russian missile strike, sending critical medical supplies for frontline health facilities up in smoke.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the destruction on social media, saying the warehouse had been hit on Friday during a broader Russian attack on the city. The facility held emergency health supplies destined for medical teams working near the front lines in eastern Ukraine.
Staff members and drivers managed to evacuate approximately 130 of the roughly 300 pallets stored at the site before the strike. No casualties were reported among WHO personnel, though the remaining supplies were completely destroyed.
“I cannot say loudly enough: attacks on health care MUST STOP,” Tedros wrote. “Otherwise, people are deprived of lifesaving healthcare.” The WHO has repeatedly condemned Russian strikes on medical infrastructure throughout the war, which has now stretched well into its fourth year since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Dnipro, Ukraine’s fourth-largest city located in the country’s central-eastern region, serves as a critical logistics hub for humanitarian operations supporting areas near the front lines. The city has been repeatedly targeted by Russian missile and drone strikes since the start of the invasion.
The destruction of the WHO warehouse is the latest in a series of attacks on humanitarian supply chains in Dnipro. In November 2025, a United Nations World Food Programme warehouse in the same city was damaged by a Russian drone strike. In May 2026, another WFP warehouse was hit by an Iskander ballistic missile, destroying food aid intended for 130,000 people living near the front line.
International humanitarian law requires all parties to a conflict to protect medical facilities and humanitarian workers. The deliberate targeting of warehouses storing medical supplies raises serious questions about compliance with obligations under the Geneva Conventions.
The WHO has been providing emergency medical assistance in Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began, supplying hospitals, clinics, and mobile health teams with essential medicines, surgical equipment, and other critical supplies. The loss of the Dnipro warehouse is expected to disrupt the delivery of aid to some of the most vulnerable populations in the conflict zone.
Sources:
WHO Director-General Statement
Politico EU: Russia and Ukraine Exchange Overnight Strikes
Kyiv Independent: Russia Destroys WHO Warehouse in Dnipro
discussion