Russian military hospitals are reportedly struggling to handle a surge of wounded soldiers from the war against Ukraine, forcing authorities to convert civilian medical facilities into military treatment centers, according to a report by Novaya Gazeta Europe. The outlet says shortages of beds for so-called “SMO [Special Military Operation, the euphemism Russia uses for the war in Ukraine] participants” have driven a widening takeover of civilian healthcare infrastructure across Russia.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. In Omsk, a women’s clinic was closed at the end of 2025 and repurposed into a polyclinic under the Defense Ministry. Earlier, maternity hospital No. 5 in the city was shut down and converted into a military hospital. A new surgical and clinical center is now under construction in the region, with officials stating it will place “special attention” on treating wounded troops returning from Ukraine. Residents say the shift is squeezing access to ordinary healthcare. One local woman said her mother was denied hospital admission after surgery with the message: “No beds! The SMO guys… you understand.” Similar reports are emerging across Russia. In Moscow, the country’s only specialist clinic for cystic fibrosis patients was repurposed for military use, while in Rostov-on-Don a maternity hospital was also converted. In St. Petersburg, wounded soldiers are now being treated in nearly all major hospitals, according to the report.