Olga Rudnieva: Supporting Amputees in Ukraine’s Conflict Zones

Serhiy Petchenko sustained the loss of both hands in June 2023 while defending Ukraine from Russian invaders. After enduring the intense, months-long conflict for the city of Bakhmut, his injury occurred during a railway incident situated further from the front line. This left the 42-year-old experiencing profound helplessness and despair. Following the amputations, his wife, Anna, was required to stay with him constantly for six months. “What helped us survive is our love,” says Serhiy. However, it is difficult to reconcile the severity of his past experience with his current appearance, as he stands at the entrance of a newly established café which he is preparing to launch in Lviv, in the west of Ukraine. He smiles broadly, his arms – complete with hands – are positioned at his sides. Serhiy was fitted with two prosthetic hands and underwent comprehensive rehabilitation at the Superhumans Center, a private medical facility specializing in war-related injuries, situated on the outskirts of the city. Concurrently, the pair acquired the necessary skills to establish a family enterprise. Serhiy states that the facility provided him with an opportunity to resume a conventional existence, concurrently adapting to life with his new disability. The Ukrainian Health Ministry reports that a minimum of 50,000 Ukrainians, encompassing both military personnel and civilians, have suffered limb loss during nearly three years of conflict. Olga Rudnieva, who serves as CEO and co-founder of the Superhumans Center, notes, “Some people have double, triple, quadruple amputations. All these people will need prosthetics, or some will use wheelchairs.” A significant number of amputations stem from protracted evacuation times from combat zones. The intensity of incoming artillery fire can be such that transporting an injured soldier to a medical facility may require several hours. Rudnieva asserts that with over one million individuals deployed on the front line, Ukraine is poised to become “the country of people with disabilities.” She explains the philosophy underpinning her center, stating, “We want to normalise disability. OK, that’s how the country is going to look.” “Most of the people here at the centre shouldn’t be alive. The fact that they are is a miracle in itself.” Rudnieva established the center amidst the ongoing Russian missile strikes that have impacted the nation since February 2022. Despite some individuals labeling her “crazy,” she proceeded with her plans. She states, “If I have an opinion, I’m sharing my opinion. If I know what to do, I just go and do it.” Her associates and staff secured financial contributions globally for advanced prosthetics and reconstructive surgical procedures. Her compelling address, which articulated how injuries can foster empowerment, garnered support from various celebrities for Superhumans, such as British adventurer Bear Grylls, Virgin executive Richard Branson, musician Sting, and actress Trudie Styler. She affirms, “We truly believe that you can be empowered by trauma. The trauma can ruin you or it can build your superpower.” The Superhumans Center complements Ukraine’s existing military medical facilities, which are overwhelmed by the continuous influx of injured service members from the 3,200km front line. Since its inauguration in April 2023, the center has provided care to over 1,000 patients, including military personnel, civilians, adults, and children. Approximately 800 of these individuals have been fitted with prosthetic limbs. “It’s the global headquarters of resilience,” Rudnieva, aged 47, describes it, as she moves briskly among patients in wheelchairs. These patients are either awaiting advanced prosthetics or are actively training to utilize their recently acquired limbs. She requests that some of the young men present, who have undergone double and triple amputations, demonstrate their progress. Ukrainian soldiers typically employ callsigns rather than their given names, and Rudnieva herself possesses one: “Mum.” She states with pride, “They learned to walk with their mothers, and I was the second person they learned how to walk with.” When the conflict commenced, Ukraine lacked the preparedness to assist such a large number of individuals with disabilities. Rudnieva comments, “Ukrainian soldiers are less afraid to be killed than to be wounded, because a severe injury means you are going to be disabled for the rest of your life – and the infrastructure is not right, and society is not ready, and the healthcare system is not right.” Several times daily, she inspects the rehabilitation area where the “superhumans,” as she refers to them, are undergoing training to regain their ability to walk. Among the seasoned male combatants is Olena, a mild-mannered bakery manager originating from Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine. She suffered the loss of her leg during a Russian rocket attack while en route to her mother’s birthday celebration. She states, “The first thing I’ll do when I have my artificial leg, if the weather is fine, is just go for a walk. Without any rush, without an aim. I’ll just take a walk to recall how it feels.” Currently, she utilizes a prosthetic leg provided by the rehabilitation facility, but she is soon to receive her personal one. Rudnieva recalls Olena’s narrative with precision, along with the accounts of her other patients. She is familiar with details concerning their spouses, parents, and occupations prior to the conflict. With a smile, she mentions, “Younger guys bring me their girlfriends and ask my opinion.” Some couples have sought her counsel prior to making decisions regarding divorce. A profound war injury presents difficulties not only for the individual who sustains it but also for their whole family, putting relationships under strain. As she displays the recently furnished children’s room, Rudnieva smiles. She remarks, “We are waiting today for Nazarchyk, Serhiy and Anna’s son. He is so active. He will turn it upside down.” Rudnieva states that her professional endeavors have instilled in her an unprecedented appreciation for life and have also eliminated her fear of death. Previously serving as a director for the Olena Pinchuk Foundation, an organization dedicated to combating the proliferation of HIV/Aids throughout Ukraine, she was outside the country when Russia initiated its invasion. For several months, she managed a humanitarian aid center in Poland before returning to Ukraine to establish her transformative initiative. Her efforts were not isolated. Ukrainian civil society rapidly mobilized, both to bolster the war effort—by raising funds for drones and vehicles, and by importing medical supplies or apparel—and to sustain societal functions as the nation contended for its survival. Currently, additional private rehabilitation facilities exist, alongside ambulances and taxis facilitating the evacuation of individuals from partially ruined settlements, food provisions for displaced persons, and numerous other undertakings that augment state-provided services. Furthermore, women have assumed a pivotal role. Rudnieva recounts, “When the full-scale invasion started, I, as a feminist, was very scared. I thought that it’s the end of feminism, because war is a very masculine thing.” However, she subsequently recognized that women have assumed numerous duties as men departed for combat, with some also engaging in fighting themselves. Rudnieva asserts, “I think that women proved to be absolutely amazing during this war,” her voice occasionally obscured by the sound of sirens, which have become a characteristic element of daily life in Ukraine. She adds, “I’m really proud to be among Ukrainian women.”