Forward to Life
The defensive war of Ukrainians against Russia has been ongoing for over a decade, and in the past 2.5 years, it has escalated into the largest bloodbath in Europe since World War II. As a result, Ukraine now has nearly a million veterans. Participation in combat does not go unnoticed: some require physical rehabilitation, others need psychological support, and almost everyone needs assistance in adapting to life in civilian society.
Kremlin propaganda promotes the narrative that Ukraine is experiencing a civil war on the ruins of the Soviet Union. Consequently, the civilised world supposedly has no reason to side with the Ukrainians, as they are allegedly no better than the Russians. However, if we examine how the two sides treat their veterans, it becomes immediately clear that this is not a war between "Soviets," but rather between Europeans and barbarians.
For instance, in Russia, a veteran of the so-called "Special Military Operation" (SMO) who returns home after a leg amputation can easily be beaten by neighbours for irritating them with the clattering of his prosthetic. This is, of course, assuming that the Putin regime even shows enough humanity to provide the mutilated Russian with a prosthetic. After all, why bother caring for a cripple who can no longer participate in a meat grinder assault?
In Ukraine, however, the attitude towards wounded soldiers is fundamentally different. The state, philanthropists, volunteers, and ordinary citizens all strive to do everything possible to ensure that a person who has sacrificed their health for the sake of the country feels the gratitude of society and returns to civilian life as comfortably as possible.
The New Ancient Heroes
Source: Static.nv.ua
We have all seen those beautiful ancient statues with missing limbs—created by the finest artists who lived in the cradle of European civilisation, yet mutilated by barbarians. Ukrainian veterans are somewhat akin to ancient sculptures, at least conveying the same message: if civilisation does not defend itself by providing Ukraine with all the necessary weapons, the EU will sooner or later fall to the Moscow barbarians, just as Rome once fell to the Germanic tribes. To draw attention to this idea, Ukrainian artist Alex Alekseev creatively reinterprets ancient statues, presenting them as mutilated Ukrainian soldiers.
Due to the aggressive use of artillery, mines, cluster munitions, drones, and precision-guided bombs by the Russians, limb injuries account for the largest share of wounds on the front (over 70%). According to the initiator of the #SaveTheLimb programme, Serhiy Soshynskyi, the main task of medics is to stop the invalidisation of Ukrainians. Firstly, to return them to normal life, and secondly, to save funds that are desperately needed for the war against the Russians. After all, the cost of a limb prosthesis can sometimes reach $50,000, while the average cost of surgery and treatment to save the limb is around $1,500–2,000.
"This war, compared to World War II, is a war of limb injuries. Ukraine could face over 100,000 people with disabilities due to limb injuries, whom our state will have to treat for many years, spending significant resources, if proper attention is not paid to limb preservation now."
As part of the #SaveTheLimb initiative, Ukraine attempts to perform 15,000 surgeries annually. About 65% of people successfully treated recover and return to service. Ukrainian soldiers are also helped abroad. Since the beginning of the war, the Medevac programme has been operating in Ukraine—the Ministry of Health seeks foreign clinics where soldiers with combat injuries undergo unique treatments.
Perhaps the most famous example is the defender of Mariupol's Azovstal, Mykhailo Dianov, who suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder and was then captured by the Russians, who, of course, did not care about his health. After being exchanged, Dianov could have lost his right arm entirely, but a successful surgery in St. Louis, USA, saved the limb and restored its functionality.
Unfortunately, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are less fortunate. It is not always possible to save a limb, and some lose them directly on the battlefield, so saving the arm or leg is out of the question—instead, efforts are made to provide the veteran with a high-quality, modern prosthesis. While in Russia, soldiers with amputations are hidden from the delicate eyes of the Moscow public, sent as far as possible into the rural hinterlands, in Ukraine, veterans with prosthetics live freely and proudly among grateful civilians. And with the support of loving people. In May, Ukraine was moved by a photo of a couple from Dnipro: a girl walking through the city, holding hands with her boyfriend—a veteran with a prosthetic leg from the hip. Mayor Borys Filatov commented on their story:
"This is Nastya, Demyan, and their charming six-year-old Pomeranian, Kaspik. All you need to know is that this is simply a worthy example of human relationships. She is smart and beautiful. He is a Hero who has someone to rely on in life."
Source: Obozrevatel.com
Ukrainian Cyborgs
Ukrainian Armed Forces veterans are now receiving prosthetics, including bionic ones. While the legendary defenders of Donetsk Airport in 2014-2015 were dubbed "cyborgs" purely for their bravery in fighting the Russians, today's Ukrainian veterans are becoming cyborgs in the literal sense. For example, in Lviv, with the help of the German government, the largest prosthetics centre, UNBROKEN, has opened. This 1,000 m² facility is equipped with full-cycle bionic prosthetics manufacturing capabilities, testing rooms, and auditoriums for training and research, where Ukrainian prosthetists gain European-level qualifications. The centre can assist 1,200 patients annually.
One of the new Ukrainian cyborgs is 26-year-old Oleksandr Pryvedyon, a former police officer who had his arm amputated after being wounded in battles with the Russians near Avdiivka. At UNBROKEN, the veteran was fitted with a bionic arm, allowing him to return to the army as a recruiter. The hospital described his prosthetic story as follows:
"Our specialists, in collaboration with British colleagues, decided to install a metal arm with a shoulder powered by an external energy source and a hybrid electronic elbow. For such a complex amputation, this prosthesis is the best solution. With it, Oleksandr will be able to fix the elbow in comfortable positions using signals transmitted by muscle contractions."
Source: Suspilne.media
However, mastering a prosthesis—whether conventional or bionic—is not just a matter of accessing advanced technology. It is always a long journey of hard and exhausting training. Therefore, rehabilitation centres with exercise equipment, massage and treatment rooms are being opened across Ukraine for veterans. Interestingly, occupational therapy (often soldiers have to relearn basic self-care) involves the use of modern technologies, such as virtual reality glasses. For example, the RECOVERY rehabilitation centre offers Diego equipment from Tyromotion, which turns monotonous exercises with a prosthesis into an engaging computer game.
Source: Recoveryua.org
Combatant Syndrome
Of course, limb loss is not the only physical trauma Ukrainian soldiers endure daily. Concussions, burns, ruptured eardrums, blindness, etc.—the list of war injuries in a conflict where the Russians use every method available is extensive. But besides physical injuries, there are psychological ones. Currently, 29% of Ukrainian military personnel are diagnosed with PTSD. The problem with treating PTSD is that this disorder initially masquerades as an ordinary psychological trauma and may only fully manifest years later—in a more advanced state. The curator of the Equilibrium psychological rehabilitation centre, opened with the help of the Dutch government, Mykyta Permyakov, explains that at first, a soldier with PTSD begins to experience flashbacks triggered by something: "For example, a sound, a colour, a word, a smell, and so on. The person starts to feel that they are not 'here and now,' but rather that they are in the events where the trauma occurred, and they cannot control it. This is often accompanied by a panic attack: the person begins to have difficulty breathing, there is a surge of adrenaline, and they may even have visual hallucinations that they are in a trench."
In addition to flashbacks, the PTSD triad includes aggression and depression. Sleep disorders are also common. Without professional help, a person may start drinking, using drugs, and struggling with suicidal thoughts. Therefore, to prevent PTSD, the "decompression period" is crucial, a practice Ukrainians borrowed from American experience. This involves not immediately returning a soldier to civilian life but first sending them to a rehabilitation camp where psychologists, psychiatrists, and neurologists work with them.
Source: Facebook
Additionally, since 2016, the Centre for Moral and Psychological Support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has been operating in Ukraine according to NATO standards. It currently consists of over 100 groups of psychologists who provide services both on the frontlines and in the rear. They assist not only those who have already endured the horrors of war but also new recruits. Psychologist Oksana Ziyadinova explains that the better a person is mentally prepared for combat, the fewer manifestations of PTSD there will be later:
"We need to give new soldiers the basics of psychological preparation: how to behave in stressful situations, what they are like, and what to do with them. Psychologists won't be with them in the trenches, so they need to know this on their own. We also need to show them self-help exercises."
Forgetting Everything
In addition to psychotherapy and medication, Ukrainian soldiers with PTSD are engaged in various creative, physical, and emotional activities that help them forget their traumatic memories. One innovative project is "Painting with a Warrior," where military personnel gradually distract themselves from frontline flashbacks by painting with professional artists. Art therapy has shown promising results: while veterans initially paint predominantly in a red-and-black palette, depicting war-torn devastation, they soon transition to serene landscapes in "peaceful" colours. One soldier who has taken up painting describes his experience as follows:
"We've had the opportunity to immerse ourselves in a different, previously unknown world of art, paints, and colours. And now the memories no longer suffocate us, but instead transform into something positive."
Source: Armyinform.com
Soldiers also undergo sessions of equine therapy and canine therapy—psychotherapeutic treatments involving horses and dogs, respectively. Interaction with friendly animals—feeding, playing, and horseback riding—boosts the levels of oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin, which lift their spirits and make the transition back to normal life easier for soldiers with PTSD.
Source: Armyinform.com
To restore the psychophysical state of veterans, new practices are constantly being tested in Ukraine. For instance, one hospital has introduced archery training for soldiers. The need to concentrate on the target, firmly hold the bow, and correctly draw the string strengthens the muscles of the entire upper body and stimulates cognitive function, as motor skills and speech are closely connected in humans. Even soldiers with partial arm amputations practice archery, helping them to learn how to use a prosthesis faster and contributing to its proper formation.
Source: Armyinform.com
As the blue-and-yellow flag shows, Ukrainians are a nation that has historically sought to peacefully engage in farming under tranquil skies. It’s no surprise that some bakeries conduct bread therapy sessions for veterans undergoing rehabilitation. Working with dough allows soldiers to relieve psychological stress, experience positive emotions, and later enjoy the fruits of their labour.
Source: Armyinform.com
Equal Among Equals
The main task in the rehabilitation process of military personnel is to turn them into independent and fully-fledged members of society, including in economic terms. The budget for providing veterans with housing today amounts to 5.7 billion UAH per year. This allows around 2,500 soldiers, who either didn’t have a home or lost it due to the war, to receive new housing.
However, few veterans wish to stay home on a pension. Most want to work. Some return to their pre-war jobs, where inclusive spaces are organised for them. Every company and office in Ukraine adapts to the specific needs of its veteran employees. Nevertheless, two-thirds of ex-military personnel dream of starting their own business after their service. The state funds ambitious veteran business projects with grants of up to 5 million UAH. Ordinary people also massively support ex-military entrepreneurs by becoming their customers. Anyone interested can find veteran-owned businesses on a special map.
Yet veteran businesses in Ukraine are not only about benefits and state preferences—they are also about true entrepreneurial success. For example, when U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in May, they chose "Veterano Pizza" for lunch—a popular Kyiv establishment run by veterans of the Russo-Ukrainian war, founded by businessman Leonid Ostaltsev after his return from the front in 2014.
Besides work, it is essential for veterans to have a vibrant and emotionally fulfilling leisure time. The most popular sport in Ukraine is football, so at the beginning of the year, "Shakhtar" became the first club to establish a team for soldiers with amputations. Adaptive football is something that will inevitably develop in Ukraine, where, according to the club's director Serhiy Palkin, there are already more than 50,000 veterans with amputations.
Source: Armyinform.com
Unfortunately, the number of Ukrainians maimed by war will continue to grow as long as Putin deems it acceptable to wage his aggressive genocidal war. Therefore, no matter how much Ukraine cares for its veterans, it is crucial to reduce their number by forcing the Kremlin dictator to peace as quickly as possible. This can only be achieved by improving the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, for which Europe and the U.S. should provide Ukraine with a great deal of weapons. And most importantly, they should not prohibit their use on Russian territory. The language of force is the only one they can understand there.