Ukrainian soldiers who lost limbs in war with Russia being helped on Staten Island

01 Jun 23 145 0 0

Ukrainian soldiers who lost limbs in war with Russia being helped on Staten Island

Cool Story - Ukrainian soldiers who lost limbs in war with Russia being helped on Staten Island

An American flag and a Ukrainian flag hang side by side outside one unassuming Midland Beach duplex, while the front door is decorated in yellow and blue.

Four soldiers from the besieged Eastern European country are temporarily residing inside the house. They were brought to the United States by the Staten Island-based nonprofit Kind Deeds in order to obtain free prostheses and rehabilitation for horrific injuries sustained during Russian attacks.

With the assistance of Dr. Dmitry Shevchenko, head of the nonprofit's medical board, the soldiers—Maksym Kryvonos, Nikola Zaretskiy, Viktor Kobets, and Roman Los—recently spoke to the Advance/SILive.com about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the permanent harm caused by senseless Russian violence.

THE SOLDIERS

Kryvonos, 28, of Nemyriv, was a student and a private security guard; Zaretskiy, 29, of Sumy, a father of one, ran a construction and farming business; Kobets, 25, of Odesa, a father of three, was the sole proprietor of a lumberjack business; and Los, 22, of Fastiv, was a daycare teacher before Russia's full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The then-strangers jumped into Ukraine's defense as soon as the invasion, which was an expansion of the Russo-Ukrainian War that first began in 2014, started. Kryvonos and Kobets were assigned to one company, while Zaretskiy and Los were sent to other battalions.

They engaged in combat to fend off Russian assaults and reclaim lost ground. They took part in some of Ukraine's most significant conflicts, such as the initial altercation over the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works facility in Mariupol, in which Los participated, and the conflict over the renowned Snake Island in the Black Sea, which Kobets assisted in regaining control of from Russia last July.

They persisted despite all odds till they were on the verge of death.

KIND ACTIONS

In separate fights in the city of Kherson, Russian landmines brutally wounded Kryvonos, Zaretskiy, and Kobets, while Los was gravely hurt by artillery fired from a BM-21 Grad in Mariupol.

The four troops had transtibial, or below-knee, amputations performed on them because their lower-body wounds were so serious.

When Kind Deeds was first established in April 2022, its primary goal was to assist Ukrainians who were escaping the nation as Russia's offensive stepped up. Oleksandr Rubtsov, a Florida resident who temporarily relocated to Staten Island, founded the nonprofit, which acquired its 501(c)(3) registration a month later. According to Shevchenko, the group assisted in the evacuation of at least 3,000 refugees in the early months of the war.

The NGO works in Ukraine's military hospitals with a group of volunteers who identify those in need of assistance. From there, it coordinates with numerous U.S. and Ukrainian organisations to swiftly issue the soldiers' visas and assists them in securing Ukrainian military approval for a temporary leave of absence.

"WE TRY TO BE IN GOOD SPIRITS ALWAYS"

Obviously, becoming an amputee has not been without its challenges. It has proven challenging, but optimism is essential.

Zaretskiy admitted, "At first, I was quite depressed because I was in so much agony.” "I wasn't able to participate as much in rehab here because of the pain," the patient said. He claimed that recently, as his pain finally started to lessen a little, his mood had improved.

Kobets said, "I was quite depressed at first because it was so painful; I didn't want to communicate with anyone. But my family and friends later encouraged me. When you actually work on it, however, you forget that it's distinctive and unusual.”

ARRIVE BACK AT THE FRONT LINES

Kryvonos, Zaretskiy, Kobets, and Los are still regarded as active troops, but it is unknown whether the Ukrainian military will permit them to return to the front lines. Nevertheless, they aren't obsessing about their uncertain futures.

Each has already declared they are ready to return to combat.

‘WE HAD TO HELP’

The most recent troops Kind Deeds has assisted are Kryvonos, Zaretskiy, Kobets, and Los, but if Rubtsov, Shevchenko, and the rest of the volunteer-based team have their way, they won't be the last. Rubtsov and Shevchenko intend to expand Kind Deeds' reach and impact, as well as its partnerships with other NGOs, such as the Ukrainian Habitat Fund, which assists displaced Ukrainians with housing.

In response to the ongoing crucial military assistance provided to Ukraine by the United States, the United Kingdom, and several European Union countries, including a $1.8 billion package announced by U.S. President Joe Biden during a recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia's defense minister recently called for increasing Moscow's military by at least 500,000 troops.

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