From January through July 2026, 30 people sought medical assistance due to snake bites in Ukraine.
According to the Public Health Center (PHC) on its website, four of the victims were children.
Specifically, 10 cases were reported in Zhytomyr Oblast, nine in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, five in Lviv Oblast, four in Chernivtsi Oblast, and one each in Zakarpattia and Rivne Oblasts.
The PHC notes that data from the Luhansk region and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea are unavailable.
The PHC emphasizes that there are no deadly venomous snakes in Ukraine; however, there are three species of venomous snakes (the steppe viper, the common viper, and Nikolsky’s viper), whose bites typically prompt people to seek medical assistance.
“None of them are fatally venomous to a healthy adult. Snakes never attack first; if a snake is disturbed, it will be forced to defend itself. If you see a snake, do not make any sudden movements. Do not try to approach or chase it away, and certainly do not kill the animal. Calmly wait until it slithers away on its own,” notes the Public Health Center
