Russian forces force civilian hospitals in occupied Zaporizhzhia to serve military needs
Photo: civilian hospitals in temporarily occupied territories forced to serve the needs of the Russian military (Getty Images)
Civilian hospitals in the occupied areas of the Zaporizhzhia region are being forcibly repurposed to serve the needs of Russia’s Ministry of Defense, according to the partisan movement ATESH.
According to information obtained by the movement’s agents from hospital staff, Russian military personnel are pressuring hospital management to sign contracts with Russia’s Ministry of Defense.
Formally, the medical facilities are not being fully reclassified as military hospitals. However, a significant share of their resources is planned to be redirected to treating wounded Russian soldiers. This includes medical equipment, medicines, bed capacity, and healthcare personnel.
Sources say this is happening amid an acute shortage of medical care for local residents. Hospitals face long queues and a lack of doctors, medicines, and essential equipment, and the reallocation of resources further limits civilians’ access to treatment.
"These steps not only indicate the critical situation of Russian forces at the front but also represent another act of cynical lawlessness, as civilian infrastructure in the occupied territories is being used to support the aggression," the ATESH said.
Repressive measures in occupied territories
Earlier, ATESH reported that systematic repression against civilians is being prepared in the temporarily occupied parts of the Zaporizhzhia region. In particular, cases were recorded in Kamianske, where Russian troops, together with the occupation commandant’s office, conducted raids on basements and private homes, seizing equipment and mobile phones.
Civilians have reportedly been detained even for having Ukrainian applications on their smartphones. Such detentions are often accompanied by looting, which is described in reports as the "seizure of means used for sabotage activities."
Similar problems have been reported in other temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine, including parts of the Kherson region, where residents have limited access to healthcare and hospitals are filled with Russian soldiers. In occupied areas of eastern Ukraine, local hospitals have also reportedly refused to treat civilians due to heavy losses among Russian forces.
