WHO warehouse storing medical supplies in Ukraine struck in overnight Russian attack
It comes as the Kremlin said that the possibility of a Ukraine peace settlement remained, but that there was no concrete basis for it right now
One of the World Health Organization's main warehouses storing humanitarian medical supplies in Ukraine was struck during an air attack overnight in the region surrounding Kyiv.
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"Access to the site remains restricted due to heavy smoke and safety concerns, while assessments of possible damage and stock losses are ongoing. No WHO personnel were affected," WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said.
The attack follows a strike in August on a WHO humanitarian warehouse in the southern city of Dnipro, resulting in the loss of half of the medical supplies and equipment intended to support an estimated 225,000 people living in front-line and hard-to-reach areas, according to the WHO.
Another warehouse used by the WHO near Kyiv was damaged during a large-scale wave of attacks on the capital and surrounding region in July, Lindmeier said.
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"The attacks are part of a broader pattern affecting humanitarian operations across the country. In 2026, at least 20 attacks have affected warehouses storing humanitarian supplies, including 15 attacks on warehouses holding health-related humanitarian supplies," Lindmeier told reporters in Geneva.
Alternative storage arrangements have already been identified following the latest incidents, the WHO said.
It comes as the Kremlin said that the possibility of a Ukraine peace settlement remained, but that there was no concrete basis for it right now, declining to confirm if US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were due to visit Moscow in the coming days.
Asked to comment on reports that the envoys were expected to visit Russia and Ukraine over the weekend for peace negotiations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said any contacts would be announced when they take place.
A vast gulf remains between Russia and Ukraine on how to end the 4-1/2-year war, the deadliest in Europe since World War Two.
Putin has repeatedly demanded that Ukraine give up more territory, while Ukraine rejects terms that it considers tantamount to surrender.
The last US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine took place in February, shortly before the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran.