Empty maternity wards and men mobilized for war: Ukraine's population is shrinking fast

xHoshcha (Ukraine) While many Ukrainian hospitals are struggling to cope with the endless influx of wounded, a maternity ward in the western town of Hoshcha lies eerily deserted.

The hospital in Hoshcha has recorded just 139 births so far this year, down from 164 in 2024, and a far cry from just over a decade ago when more than 400 babies were born every year, according to local authorities.

"Many young men have died," gynaecologist Yevhen Hekkel lamented in his office. "Young men who, bluntly speaking, were supposed to replenish Ukraine's gene pool."

Empty maternity wards and men mobilized for war: Ukraine's population is shrinking fast

Authorities are wrestling with a crucial question as Ukraine

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