Key facts
- The UN is considering moving aid supplies underground in Ukraine due to Russian strikes.
- Ten UN warehouses have been hit this year, destroying millions of dollars worth of supplies.
- A WHO warehouse containing medical supplies was hit earlier this month.
- The UN is delaying aid supply purchases to minimize exposure to strikes.
- Additional costs for underground storage are not included in the UN's $2.3 billion aid budget for 2026.
The United Nations is contemplating moving humanitarian aid supplies underground in Ukraine to safeguard them from escalating Russian strikes, which have targeted 10 of its warehouses this year, resulting in the destruction of millions of dollars worth of essential goods. Matthias Schmale, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, told Reuters that deliberate attacks on warehousing capacities represent a "new trend" over the past few months.
Among the destroyed supplies were hygiene kits and children's school materials, in addition to medical supplies from a World Health Organization warehouse that was hit earlier this month. Schmale noted that these attacks feel "increasingly like the front line is moving into the air," leading to unforeseen costs for taxpayers that were not factored into the UN's $2.3 billion aid budget for 2026.
To mitigate risks, the UN is also investing in protective equipment for its staff, including more armored vehicles and drone detection devices, and is exploring the feasibility of mobile drone shelters in urban areas as civilian casualties rise.