This article is a collection of photos and stories from The Kyiv Independent’s series on wounded Ukrainian soldiers, highlighting their struggles and resilience. The photos depict various soldiers with severe injuries sustained during the war, including burns, amputations, and vision loss. Their personal stories are also shared, showcasing their determination to recover, rebuild their lives, and support others who have been injured.
Some of the stories include:
* Vitaly, a 29-year-old mechanic-turned-soldier who was severely wounded by a Russian anti-tank mine in Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast. He has suffered from severe burns on his face, partial hearing loss, and had to remove his right eye.
* Viktoria, a 54-year-old soldier who survived severe burns across her body when a missile struck near her. She credits an inner voice that urged her to move moments before impact for saving her life. Despite her injuries, she plans to open her own bakery.
* Dmytro, a 23-year-old soldier who sustained burns to 70% of his body plus lung and hearing damage during combat. Defying doctors’ predictions of only a 20% survival chance, he is now focusing on recovery while dreaming of starting a family and building a home life.
* Ruslana “Rusya” Danylkina, an 18-year-old from Odesa who lost part of her leg to a mine explosion in the Kherson Oblast. She continues to live and raise awareness through her platform.
* Sergiy Kopyshchyk, a soldier from the Rivne Oblast who lost both legs and sight in one eye during combat. He learned to walk again on prosthetics after discovering he was expecting a child with his wife Svitlana.
