UKRAINE faces a potential health crisis as the country heads into its third winter of war, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned today.

Ongoing Russian air strikes have severely damaged the energy and healthcare infrastructures, leaving millions of people vulnerable as temperatures drop, said officials from the United Nations agency.

“Frequent power outages are already taking a toll, with danger signs for the winter,” WHO regional director Hans Luge said.

“This could jeopardise the storage and distribution of vaccines, leading to a rise in vaccine-preventable diseases.”

Other concerns, he said, include possible contamination of the water system due to the power cuts and growing signs of antimicrobial resistance stemming from misuse of antibiotics.

“We have stories of wounds that simply will not heal due to resistance to antibiotics,” Mr Kluge said.

“This could have consequences far beyond Ukraine if drugs become ineffective.”

The country’s war with Russia has also drained the workforce, with millions of people fleeing abroad and tens of thousands of men mobilised in the army.

Central bank data shows that Ukraine has lost over a quarter of its  labour force since Russia’s invasion began in 2022.

Businesses are trying to cover critical shortages by hiring more women to fill traditionally male-dominated roles and turning to teenagers, students and older workers.

They are changing recruitment practices, expanding job descriptions, offering more benefits and increasing wages.

Liliia Shulha said that she spent years in “boring, sedentary” office positions but has now landed her dream job as a lorry driver with retail company Fozzy Group.

“I always dreamed about big cars. Instead of [playing with] dolls, I drove cars when I was a child,” the 40-year-old told the Reuters news agency.

“Now the situation is such that they take people without experience and they train. I was lucky.”