“When the alarm went off, we all rushed into the shelter,” she said. “Even the smallest babies from the neonatal intensive care unit were brought down by nurses and assistants, who gently held them because they were too weak for the mothers to move them themselves.”
Like a big wave Russian Air Force Attacks UkraineTargeting critical infrastructure and causing widespread damage and casualties, staff and patients at the Kyiv Regional Prenatal Care Center struggled to care for new and pregnant mothers with virtually no electricity.
“It was very distressing to see, especially at night when everyone was on edge,” Oksana said, fighting back tears. “It was very difficult. My family and my husband’s family are in Sumy, where explosions happen every day. I am constantly worried about them, and it definitely affects my health and my mental state.”
Mother-to-be Oksana recounts how she rushed to the shelter when the airstrike happened.
Air strikes cause complications
For Yuliya, another expectant mother from Irpin, Kyiv region, this has become a habit.
“I was brought here because of complications that were exacerbated by the constant stress and anxiety from the attacks,” Yuliya explained. “The constant attacks, the alarms, they had a profound impact on both the baby and the mother. It wasn’t just about me. It was about my unborn child. The anxiety of knowing that an attack could happen at any moment was indescribable.”
Yuliya shared about her support network, calling her husband, friends and family “my pillars.”
“We try to stay hopeful, but it’s hard not to think about the future that awaits our children and grandchildren,” she said.
A hospital in Kyiv continues to care for patients despite the ongoing war.
Faced with bombs and constant instability
As strikes continue to hit Ukraine, targeting cities and the country’s energy infrastructure, hospital staff and patients face continued unrest.
“Pregnant women are already in a delicate emotional state,” Yuliya added. “Being responsible not only for their own lives, but also for the lives of their unborn children, and then having to endure constant attacks and alarms. It’s unbearable. We even heard explosions while we were in the shelter.”
The hospital lost power in the morning as explosions from the latest airstrike caused a power outage, which is critical for many expectant mothers and newborns in the area.
Dr. Ogorodnyk Artem Oleksandrovych is head of the obstetrics department at the Kyiv Regional Center for Perinatal Care.
Another day, another air strike
“Today we suffered another airstrike,” said Dr. Ogorodnyk Artem Oleksandrovych, head of the obstetrics department.
We had to perform an emergency procedure in complete darkness, relying only on the flashlight from our phones until the generator kicked in.
“The explosions happened close together and we lost power across the entire hospital,” he recalls. “We were running generators, but that meant some facilities like elevators were not working. We prioritized powering critical areas like the neonatal intensive care unit, operating rooms and delivery rooms.” Despite these frequent challenges, the medical team adapted to their new reality.
“Over the years of constant bombing, we had to become quite resourceful,” Dr. Ogorodnyk explained. “We had to perform emergency procedures in complete darkness, relying on flashlights from our phones until the generators came on. Those seconds felt like a century when you were in the middle of a critical operation.”
‘Giving birth without waiting for safe conditions’
“Working in this environment is really challenging, to put it mildly,” admits Dr. Ogorodnyk.
“We have been doing this for three years, since the war began,” he said. “We have never stopped working. Childbirth does not wait for safe conditions; we are here 24/7, every day of the year.”
Despite the constant threat, hospitals must innovate.
“We have a delivery room at the shelter right now,” said Dr. Ogorodnyk. “If we can postpone certain procedures, we will. But when it comes to delivering babies or performing life-saving surgeries, we have the facilities to do that underground.”
‘Reality is harsh’
Indeed, doctors across Ukraine continue to care for and support those most in need, with a tenacity as important as the medical treatment they provide.
We had no choice but to continue because the patient’s life depended on it.
United Nations Population FundThe UN sexual and reproductive health agency supports a large network of health facilities and mobile health units across Ukraine, ensuring the provision of essential supplies and pharmaceuticals for sexual and reproductive health, including the Kyiv Regional Perinatal Care Center.
UNFPA provides incubators, hygiene kits, and barrier-free gynecological operating rooms. These services support the existing health care system, as government efforts focus on the ongoing fight.
“The reality is harsh,” said Dr. Ogorodnyk, “but we have adapted. We have no choice but to continue. Patients’ lives depend on it, and we will not let them down, no matter the circumstances.”
