According to data compiled by Ukraine’s Ministry of Health, by 27 March more than 200 cases of
COVID-19 were confirmed nationwide, with five fatalities. However, there is a risk of the epidemic
soon developing on a much larger scale. This is due to the high daily increase in the number of infections
diagnosed, the unpreparedness and inefficiency of the healthcare sector, the shortage of
medical equipment, the ongoing dispute in the Ministry of Health, and the organisational and financial
weakness of the Ukrainian state combined with of the ruling elite’s limited experience of governance.
At the present stage, the possible consequences of the pandemic are difficult to forecast. However,
it is certain that Ukraine will see a deep recession (the most optimistic forecasts spell a 5% drop in
Ukraine’s GDP in 2020)
