War ruined my lifesaving medicine

When the Russians shelled large pharmaceutical warehouses, Oleksandra faced the problem of ineffective medications that were supposed to replace the function of one of her organs.

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Editor’s note:

In stories like this, we try to go beyond the surface-level impact of war and explore issues that the media often misses. And sometimes it influences even our team in the most horrible ways, posing a life-threatening risk to some of its members.

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I was holding the test results in my hands, and hormone levels were 10 times higher than the ones I’d seen just a couple of months ago. Right then, it became clear why it was so hard for me to wake up, why the skin on my face was flaking despite all the creams and ointments I was slathering on, why I was constantly cold, why my period was late, and why I felt so terrible.

My pills haven’t worked for a whole two months.

The war has affected the healthcare sector in many ways, from direct strikes on hospitals and other medical facilities to disruptions in the logistics of medical equipment and supplies. Attacks on medical warehouses in Ukraine tripled in 2025 compared to the previous year, disrupting logistics and supply chains. According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) estimates, after four years of full-scale war, 233 healthcare workers and patients have been killed and 930 injured as a result of attacks on healthcare facilities.

For anyone who is ill, access to medical care and medication is a matter of great importance. For people with chronic conditions or a life-threatening dependence on therapy, it is a matter of survival.

In 2025, a Russian strike on Kyiv destroyed the warehouse of Optima-Pharm, one of the largest pharmaceutical distributors, and the company reported losing a month’s supply of certain medications. With medicines unavailable in official pharmacies, unofficial suppliers and the black market flourished, offering products without sufficient quality control.

Rescuers extinguish a fire at the Optima-Pharm warehouse in October 2025. Photo by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

After the paywall:

• Why did Oleksandra have her thyroid gland removed?

• What can happen if you miss a dose of necessary hormone replacement therapy?

• What happens to medicine supply chains in wartime Ukraine?

• How did Oleksandra realize that the medication she was taking wasn’t working?