Underground Hospitals: Is Combat Medicine Entering a New Era? Laura Clavijo Villagrasa May 15, 2026

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/underground-hospitals-combat-medicine-entering-new-era-2026a1000fqk Drone warfare and repeated attacks on medical infrastructure are reshaping battlefield medicine in Ukraine, driving the development of underground military hospitals designed to stabilize and treat wounded soldiers close to active combat zones, rather than relying on rapid evacuation. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the World Health Organization has documented nearly 3000 attacks on healthcare facilities and violations of the Geneva Conventions that protect medical personnel and healthcare infrastructure during armed conflict.