Russia Forces Civilian Hospitals in Occupied Zaporizhzhia Region to Serve Military Needs

Civilian hospitals in the Russian-occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia region are being forcibly redirected to serve the needs of Russia’s Ministry of Defense.

This was reported by agents of the ATESH resistance movement on January 14, embedded among staff at civilian medical facilities in the occupied territory. According to them, Russian military authorities are pressuring hospital management to sign contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry.

The move does not involve the complete takeover of hospitals for military use. However, a substantial share of resources—including medical equipment, medicines, hospital beds, and personnel—is set to be diverted to treat wounded Russian servicemen.

ATESH notes that these measures are being implemented amid an already dire shortage of medical care for the local civilian population. Residents are facing long waiting lines, a lack of doctors, and acute shortages of medicines and medical equipment. Redirecting hospital resources toward military needs further restricts civilians’ access to essential healthcare.

“These steps not only indicate the critical state of Russian forces on the front lines, but also represent yet another cynical act of lawlessness, as civilian infrastructure in the occupied territories is being used to support aggression,” the movement added.

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War in Ukraine

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At the same time, Russian troops injured in Crimea and Donetsk are reportedly being pressured to sign fresh service contracts and redeployed to assault units instead of being released from duty.

ATESH said its operatives exposed an organized scheme operating inside military hospitals in Crimea and Donetsk, involving Russian commanders and compromised medical review boards. The practice allegedly blocks medical discharge and sends wounded soldiers back into combat, most frequently to the Zaporizhzhia front.

Earlier, it was reported that Russian troops are resorting more often to feigning illness in an attempt to evade combat, with such incidents increasing notably after rumors spread about redeployments to the Pokrovsk direction.

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