To passers-by, the connection between the four men ranged around the table of a coffee shop in Washington DC would have been obvious. They had all lost limbs. What would have been less clear is that they lost them in the service of Ukrainian statehood.
They had been recruited at different times, fought Vladimir Putin’s invaders on different fronts, and crossed the Atlantic as a part of a program of rehabilitation and prosthesis sponsored by an American corporation.
Living testament to the resilience that has helped their homeland defend itself, none of them has lost hope Ukraine can win. At the same time, their stories from the trenches showed their comrades’ bravery needed to be matched with weapons and ammunition if they were to drive the Russians out.
“When we got something new from our Western allies, it would demoralize the enemy a lot,” recalled Serhii, 40, who volunteered to fight immediately after the full-scale invasion. “Even their artillery was silent for a while, they just didn’t know what to do.”
Serhii joined the ranks of the Aidar assault battalion, worked as a sapper, and then became a division commander. In July 2023 he was conducting combat reconnaissance in the Klishchiivka area, near Bakhmut, when he was so badly wounded his right arm had to be amputated.
He met Russian prisoners of war during his service and found a massive contrast with his comrades. While in the Ukrainian trenches, people were fighting for their families, friends, and freedom, the invaders’ motives were financial.
“It wasn’t even interesting to talk with them. They came stupidly for money, to improve their social level,” Serhii said. “One problem is that there are a lot of them. They came in a crowd, stepping over the corpses.”
Oleksii, 31, joined the army in January 2023 and served in the 37th Marine Brigade after training in the UK and Italy. His unit was on the Donetsk front when he lost his right arm after mortar shelling and artillery fire.
“We need to get all the weapons we can and go for it. Then we’ll have a chance to knock them out,” he said. “If not, let’s quietly sit at home, but we shouldn’t be surprised if in a year we’re using rubles.”
He agreed with Serhii that, while the Ukrainians have determination and belief in the cause on their side, the Russians have more people and weapons.
“I lacked equipment. I was the commander of a combat vehicle and I didn’t have one,” he said. “I understand that I am the machine, but a real one was needed.”
The four men around the table started laughing. Even though they are severely injured and vulnerable they haven’t lost hope and their sense of life. They are optimistic, tell jokes, and make fun of each other.
Petro, 26, was a platoon commander in the 80th Assault Unit when he lost his leg to a landmine during an evacuation mission near Bakhmut in August 2023. Ukraine’s forces won’t get far if there is nothing to fight with, he said.
“There is no [small arms] battle as such, it’s all artillery and aviation, they constantly attack us,” he said, underlining the imbalance in the fighting. “We need heavy artillery and aviation as well.”
Petro and Oleksii agreed that good-quality armored vehicles are vital if the Ukrainians are going to make progress in the Spring.
“Western equipment saves people,” Petro said. “We had a [Australian] Bushmaster — it’s like a Mastiff and could withstand a mine strike with the personnel alive. Yes, there are contusions, but people survive.”
Russian mines have severely depleted Ukraine’s supply of armored vehicles as well as killing and maiming its soldiers. A lot of vehicles were lost after the offensive on the Donetsk front, Oleksii explained. “Half immediately flew away, there were minefields,” he said.
Like Serhii, 42-year-old Ievgen joined the army voluntarily. He was wounded in July 2023 when a grenade was fired into his trench.
His unit was under heavy shell fire and it was only possible for his comrades to evacuate him the next day, after he had lain in the dirt where he’d fallen for 20 hours. He lost both his right arm and his right leg.
“I don’t regret anything, but we need a lot of help, both military and financial, so it all ends as soon as possible,” he said. “I served on the Luhansk front. There were enough people, but we didn’t have enough ammunition or armaments.”
All four soldiers emphasized that reforming the system of mobilization in Ukraine is crucial. They highlighted the importance of rotations, maintaining prepared reserves, and ensuring that military service does not exceed 36 months.
“What’s the point of taking a guy who can donate 50-60,000 hryvnia ($1,300-1,500) or 100,000 hryvnia a month, and drafting him into the army?” Oleksii asked. “What will he do there? He won’t do any good. He is more useful at home, he could buy a truck for the front.”
His view echoed the position of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said in January that people still need to work in the economy to pay soldiers’ wages and fund equipment. “If . . . you work and pay taxes, you also defend the state,” he said during a visit to Estonia.
Oleksii said the Third Assault Brigade has a flexible recruitment system that could be replicated elsewhere.
“People join voluntarily, and there’s always a steady stream of newcomers,” he said. “You can come for a week, give it a try and they’ll push you, guide you, allowing you to determine for yourself if you’re up for it.”
Serhii also backed the concept of volunteer battalions, “You can join for a month or two, then spend a couple of months at home. It encourages individuals to willingly return to the battlefield,” he said. “There’s no need to coerce them. They willingly step up, take action, fight, and then return.”
Olha Radchenko, from Future for Ukraine, which received a $1m grant from Pfizer Inc. for prosthetics for Ukrainian soldiers, said her organization has helped 18 soldiers so far, 12 in the US, and six in Malta.
“When people lose their limbs, you might think there’s no life afterward. But when you see their determination and clear goals, you realize they’re not willing to give up,” said Olha, who works as a fitness instructor and supports the soldiers during their time in America. “When you witness such resilience, you feel compelled to offer more assistance.”
All of the soldiers want to contribute to the army in some way after rehabilitation. Serhii plans to drive a pickup truck to deliver ammunition or combat kits to the front lines, while Petro and Oleksii want to be instructors and teach newly mobilized soldiers.
Ievgen wants to take care of his household — he has a daughter and two sons, one of whom is already fighting for Ukraine.
“Even if we can’t all be front-line soldiers, we possess valuable knowledge that we can pass on to others,” Oleksii said. “Whether at headquarters or in rear positions, we understand the realities of the battlefield.”
Elina Beketova is a Democracy Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), focusing on the occupied territories of Ukraine. She worked as a journalist, editor, and TV anchor for various news stations in Kharkiv and Kyiv, and currently contributes to the translator’s team of Ukrainska Pravda, Ukraine’s biggest online newspaper.
Europe’s Edge is CEPA’s online journal covering critical topics on the foreign policy docket across Europe and North America. All opinions expressed on Europe’s Edge are those of the author alone and may not represent those of the institutions they represent or the Center for European Policy Analysis. CEPA maintains a strict intellectual independence policy across all its projects and publications.
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