The hospital in small town Hoshcha has near-empty maternity ward that underscores the severity of the crisis, with just 139 births recorded so far this year—a sharp decline from more than 400 annually a decade ago. The country, which had a population of 42 million before Russia's 2022 invasion, has now declined to under 36 million, with projections by Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences forecasting a drop to as low as 25 million by 2051, per Reuters . Some Ukrainian towns are experiencing the crisis more directly than others: For example, 141 residents of Hoshcha and its surrounding district have died since the war started almost four years ago, according to the town council.
Author: Jenn Gidman with Newser.AI
Published at: 2025-12-14 22:30:00
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