Last hospital in frontline Kostiantynivka ceases operation

The last hospital operating in the city of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast has closed due to daily Russian attacks and a shortage of medical staff. Hospital admissions were stopped on 25 August and the last patient was discharged on 28 August.

Source: Olena Rudenko, director of Kostiantynivka Multidisciplinary City Intensive Care Hospital, in a comment to Suspilne.Donbas, a local branch of the Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne

Details: Rudenko said the hospital can no longer operate safely for patients or staff.

Quote: "The situation in our city now makes it impossible to provide treatment. It is perilous for both patients and for doctors. Firstly, many of our doctors have left, so we can no longer treat people. All our anaesthetists have gone, we have no traumatologists, our surgeons have left, so we can no longer provide assistance."

Details: Yurii Myshastyi, head of the surgery department, said that the Russians have been deliberately targeting the hospital since spring. Drone strikes have damaged the roof and explosions have shattered windows and frames. Myshastyi was one of three surgeons working in the hospital during its final days. He left Kostiantynivka on 31 August.

The hospital provided care to over 100,000 people before the full-scale invasion and afterwards it treated patients from Bakhmut, Toretsk and Chasiv Yar.

It currently has no electricity or water, as Russian strikes have destroyed generators and damaged utilities. Internet and phone connections are also down.

Rudenko said the hospital had employed 750 staff before the full-scale invasion and operated therapeutic, surgical, paediatric, maternity, gynaecological and ENT departments. By early August, only 15 doctors had remained.

She emphasised that her hospital was the last operating medical facility in the city. All three major hospitals – the oblast, infectious disease, and psychiatric facilities – had closed, and on 12 August the ambulance service also ceased operations.

Now all patients from the city are being evacuated to Druzhkivka.

"We had up to 70 bedridden patients in our final days: stroke patients, severe therapeutic cases, surgery patients and those injured. We were an outpost for Toretsk, Bakhmut and Chasiv Yar," Rudenko said.

Serhii Horbunov, Head of Kostiantynivka City Military Administration, reported that ambulances no longer enter the city. Those injured are evacuated by police paramedics and the White Angel unit.

Quote from Horbunov: "Ambulances can still reach the city outskirts, but do not enter. Many ambulances have been destroyed. Staff are physically unable to continue; they are quitting because they are afraid to drive. Any car, especially an ambulance or emergency service vehicle, is immediately targeted by drones."

Details: Horbunov noted that Russian forces are using drones to attack Kostiantynivka daily, targeting the hospital, water distribution points and humanitarian aid centres. Around 6,500 people remain in the city.

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