Sofia and Solomia Artemchuk Join the Hospitallers Unit, Enduring Constant Threats While Providing Medical Aid
Sofia and Solomia Artemchuk, twin sisters aged 30, have taken parallel paths through life, leading them to the same dangerous work within Ukraine’s voluntary medical battalion, the Hospitallers. This unit, composed of civilian volunteers, is dedicated to providing urgent medical treatment and evacuating the injured amid constant shelling and gunfire. The sisters face significant risks daily, often caught under heavy fire and airstrikes, and claim to be deliberate targets of Russian forces.
The Artemchuks’ unit is one of many in Ukraine facing ongoing threats to healthcare services during the conflict. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported an alarming rise in attacks on healthcare facilities, with nine fatalities recorded across 16 incidents since the onset of the Russian invasion. These assaults, the WHO notes, include cases where ambulances were used for purposes outside of healthcare, though it has refrained from attributing responsibility to either side.
