MORE than 80,000 people have lost limbs as a result of the conflict in Ukraine, according to a charity which wants to highlight the human cost of Russia’s invasion.
Data from Superhumans, a modern war trauma centre, which specialises in prosthetics, reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation in war-torn Ukraine, revealed that war injuries were rising by up to 15 per cent annually.
Smoke rises after a Russian strike on Kyiv, Ukraine, on Friday, July 4, 2025[/caption]
A local man stares on a building, partially destroyed by a Russian airstrike in Kharkiv[/caption]
Firefighters try to put out a fire following a Russian attack in Kharkiv region[/caption]
Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to the press during the at the Conference for the Recovery of Ukraine[/caption]
To raise awareness, the statue of modern health trailblazer Florence Nightingale has had her iconic lamp replaced by a prosthetic painted in Ukrainian colours – with additional prosthetics also placed around the base of the statue.
The artificial limbs include a QR code directing people to a video series, “Ukraine: Defending Freedom”, featuring the personal stories of patients of the Superhumans Center.
It was led by the Superhumans Center and has been backed by Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Unite, as well as Heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk.
CEO of the charity, Olga Rudnieva, said: “We want to keep attention on the war in Ukraine and highlight the ongoing battle we’re having to supply those in need.
“Florence Nightingale is famously associated with her work during the Crimean war, which took place in the region now known as Ukraine, where she led a group of nurses to take care of wounded soldiers.
“In the modern era, the development of prosthetics means that people can get back to living life normally and it’s our aim, in an abnormal circumstance, to get people feeling themselves again.”
The Superhumans war trauma center was built in four-and-a-half months in Lviv during the full-scale invasion in 2022, providing services to more than 2,000 patients during its inception.
And this year, it has expanded into Dnipro and Odessa.
One of those to benefit from the expertise of the charity is Briton Eddy Scott, 28, from Dorset.
Formerly a sailor, he went to Ukraine in October 2022 as a humanitarian volunteer, delivering drinking water to cut off frontline towns, repairing war damaged homes and assisting medical teams.
However, on 30 January this year, when assisting in transporting civilians out of Pokrovsk, his clearly marked humanitarian van was targeted and hit by an FPV drone.
Everyone survived the blast; however, Eddy was seriously injured, losing his left arm and leg in the attack.
But through the support of Superhumans and other organisations he is progressing well, with his focus being on continuing to support Ukraine in whatever way he can.
Eddy Scott said, “It is so important that we continue to talk about Ukraine. So many people have forgotten that this war is still happening. All of us are tired, but it doesn’t mean that we can stop.”
Speaking on behalf of Virgin Unite, Sir Richard Branson said: “Ukraine’s fight is not just for its own future, but for the ideals of freedom and democracy everywhere.
“Since Russia’s invasion, the Ukrainian people have paid a terrible price. They’ve sacrificed their limbs, homes, and lives.
“It’s easy, from a distance, to feel fatigue or helplessness. But we cannot look away.
“Freedom is never free, and Ukraine is paying the cost on all our behalf.”
Ukrainian emergency services working at the site of a drone strike in the Kyiv area[/caption]
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting[/caption]
Firefighters working on a fire at a site of a strike following a mass Russian drone attack[/caption]
