Session Item

The full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, 2022 brought the largest humanitarian disaster to the heart of Europe since the World War II. Ukraine has lost tens of thousands of civilian lives, with approximately a third of the population displaced. After the initial russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014 and occupation of Crimea and parts of Donbas, Ukraine lost access to 7 RT centers with 18 external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) machines (17% of total). Just before the full-scale invasion in 2022, there were a total of 44 Co-60 machines (57%) and 33 linear accelerators (43%) in the unoccupied territories. As a result of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, almost all RT centers suspended operation in the first weeks of war. The most challenging period for RT in Ukraine was in March when Kyiv (where 20 EBRT machines are located) was partially surrounded by the occupiers. The situation improved after Ukrainians liberated approximately half of the total occupied territory. Currently, 2 additional RT centers are under occupation; 3 RT centers sustained heavy shelling and equipment damage. Despite the ongoing war, Ukrainian cancer centers installed 3 new linear accelerators, with 14 linear accelerators pending installation. Radiotherapy in Ukraine sustained significant damages since the 2014 russian invasion, which was exacerbated further by the full-scale invasion in 2022. To support the vitality and absorptive capacity of RT services in Ukraine, the democratic world can help by donating equipment, hardware, software, and participating in training of Ukrainian RT professionals as they transition to modern and high-quality RT care for Ukrainian cancer patients.