Rostov-on-Don, Russia – The scars of war extend far beyond the battlefield, and in Russia, a growing number of soldiers are returning home with life-altering injuries. A rehabilitation center in Rostov-on-Don, near the Ukrainian border, is offering a glimpse into the hidden toll of the conflict – and the challenges of rebuilding lives shattered by explosions, and gunfire.
Founded by veteran Vladimir Rasskazov, “Protezi Dlia Svoij” – a play on words referencing the Kremlin’s term for the war – opened its doors in September 2025. The center provides prosthetic limbs and rehabilitation services to Russian soldiers wounded in Ukraine. Rasskazov, himself an amputee who lost a leg in the brutal fighting around in , says the initiative was born from witnessing the immense need firsthand. He displays medals awarded for his service, including one commemorating the intense battles near .
The center’s work extends beyond providing prosthetics. It offers a holistic approach to recovery, recognizing the profound psychological impact of war. “A person who has lost a limb suddenly faces a void of information,” Rasskazov explains. “It’s a new life, they don’t know what to expect.” The rehabilitation process begins with a two-week assessment to understand each patient’s physical and emotional needs, followed by individualized prosthetic fitting and ongoing support.
Among those seeking help is Glodi, a -year-old from the Democratic Republic of Congo who was studying engineering in Rostov-on-Don when the conflict began. He enlisted in the Russian military, drawn by the promise of expedited citizenship, a path reportedly taken by several thousand foreign nationals, though precise numbers remain unclear. Glodi lost his leg in combat and has been using a temporary plastic prosthetic for the past eight months while awaiting a custom-fitted limb. He dreams of returning to football, a passion now complicated by his injury.
The center also employs individuals with personal experience of overcoming physical challenges. Kiyomiddin Abdulajadov, born in Tajikistan and a childhood amputee, is a master prosthetist who has created over a thousand limbs. “It’s a wonderful experience to see a patient who was once in a wheelchair now walking happily,” he says.
Another key figure at the center is Vitali Jardin, a -year-old veteran of the Wagner paramilitary group who lost both legs in when his unit was struck by a Ukrainian tank near . Jardin recounts a harrowing experience of being lured into a trap by Ukrainian forces who mimicked Russian radio communications. Despite his severe injuries, he maintains a remarkably optimistic outlook. “When I woke up in the hospital and discovered I was missing my legs, I was glad to be alive. I was in a good mood,” he says.
Jardin emphasizes the importance of long-term psychological support for veterans. “We need to provide long-term psychological support to the military,” he states. “Because the war continues to leave its mark on a person’s psyche. Because you cannot remain the same after seeing something like this. We see a very difficult long-term recovery process, and many people cannot cope.”
While Jardin and Rasskazov focus on rebuilding lives, they also express a desire for a swift end to the conflict. “Let it end already and everyone return home,” Jardin urges. “I think more than 80% of the army would support that. Enough suffering has been done. It should be stopped, even if we have to settle for what we have now.” He suggests a complete severing of ties with Ukraine and neighboring countries, advocating for a “great iron curtain.”
The Russian government has been largely opaque regarding casualties in Ukraine. However, data released in by the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection, Alexey Vovchenko, revealed that of military personnel requiring medical examination were classified as disabled due to limb amputations. This figure represents a significant increase, with of amputations affecting upper limbs and affecting lower limbs.
Independent estimates of Russian military deaths, compiled by the BBC and the Russian investigative outlet Mediazona, suggest at least Russian soldiers have been killed as of , with a total estimated death toll reaching as high as . The pace of casualties has reportedly accelerated in recent months.
The Kremlin-backed “Defenders of the Fatherland” fund reports that approximately disabled veterans of the Ukraine conflict had participated in its competitions by , with missing upper limbs and missing lower limbs.
The cost of providing prosthetic limbs and rehabilitation services is borne primarily by the Ministry of Defense, with some support from regional governments and charitable organizations. Rasskazov asserts that producing these devices is “much cheaper” in Russia than in Europe, though they still carry a significant price tag – ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of euros.
The Russian government has also offered financial compensation to wounded soldiers, initially providing a one-time payment of three million rubles (approximately ). This system was revised in late to a tiered structure based on the severity of the injury, ranging from one million () to three million rubles.
However, transparency remains a major issue. Russian statistical agencies have curtailed the release of detailed data in recent years, particularly regarding disability statistics, as numbers became increasingly difficult to reconcile with the reality on the ground. Official figures on the number of disabled individuals in Russia have even decreased – to in , a million fewer than the year before the COVID-19 pandemic and the start of the war in Ukraine – raising questions about the accuracy of official reporting.
