If truth is the first casualty of war, the second is health and wellbeing. BMJ condemns Russia’s war on Ukraine1; this is not a moment for neutrality or abstention. The identity of the aggressor is clear, as are the consequences of that aggression on mass casualties and destruction in Ukraine; on the lives and livelihoods of civilians; on the refugees now fleeing Ukraine in their millions; on the millions of Ukrainians short of essential drugs and treatments (doi:10.1136/bmj.o610)2; and on the health professionals now struggling to maintain any semblance of basic healthcare in a country already dealing with a poorly controlled covid pandemic and an outbreak of polio (doi:10.1136/bmj.o548; doi:10.1136/bmj.o605).34
The impact of Russia’s war is not limited to Ukraine. It will be felt across Europe, as refugees place extra demands on health services and possibly trigger further waves of covid. Europe, especially Ukraine’s immediate neighbours, have …
