Update From The Heart Institute of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine

Last year, we had the honor of welcoming a delegation from the Heart Institute of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, led by Dr. Borys Todurov. The team shared their incredible efforts in the face of an ongoing war, of how they managed to continue to save lives and advance cardiovascular care under extraordinary circumstances. Their resilience and dedication to patient care are nothing short of inspiring.

This week, Dr. Todurov wrote to share an update that is both humbling and extraordinary. As the war continues in Ukraine, his team performed 63 successful heart transplants in 2025, including eight in children. With no air navigation available, donor hearts have been transported entirely by ground—often during active drone, cruise missile, and ballistic missile attacks. Some of these lifesaving journeys have spanned more than 600 kilometers, with ischemic times exceeding seven hours. Despite these unimaginable conditions, not a single patient has been lost.

Dr. Todurov shared that Kyiv is currently experiencing widespread blackouts, and his hospital is operating without external electricity or heating. Even so, their team recently completed the first heart transplant of the year in a city just 20 kilometers from the front line.

He credited the success of his program to the training, mentorship, and collaboration fostered through our institutions, an extraordinary reminder that the impact of our work reaches far beyond our walls. Their story is a testament to what is possible when medicine is driven by courage, purpose, and unwavering commitment to human life.