All medical facilities in the occupied city of Lysychansk, Luhansk Oblast have been re-purposed as military hospitals for Russian troops, exiled Mayor Valerii Shybiko said on Priamyi TV channel on July 3.
"At this moment, all medical facilities that functioned here have been re-purposed as military hospitals for enemy soldiers. The front line is really close and heavy fighting takes place there, therefore there are many wounded, and they do not have time, people, or medicine to provide medical services to civilian residents," Shybiko said.
The only exception are pharmacies, of which there are several newly opened by the occupying authorities, the exiled mayor noted. However, due to the inflated prices, residents cannot afford to buy medicine, he added.
Shybiko said that the city suffers from power shortages and a lack of drinking water. Problems with heating can also be expected in the future. Mobile communication with the rest of Ukraine is forbidden, the exiled official revealed.
According to the mayor, many Russian soldiers have settled in the city and some neighborhoods have been made inaccessible to the city's residents.
Lysychansk was captured by Russian forces on July 3 as the last Ukrainian holdout in Luhansk Oblast at the time. While the city's pre-war population amounted to under 100,000 residents, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Verseshchuk estimated that by July 2022, the number has dropped to 12,000 as the majority have evacuated.
Asami Terajima
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