Ukrainian Woman Lost Leg in Kherson Fighting After Volunteering for Army at 18

Ruslana Danilkina volunteered for the Ukrainian army in 2022 at age 18 and lost her leg due to injuries sustained during fighting near Kherson when she was 19. The young soldier remained conscious throughout her injury until being placed on the operating table, describing how her survival instinct kept her from crying out or questioning why the injury happened to her. Danilkina said she feared returning home as a different person more than she feared death itself. Her case represents the experiences of young Ukrainian volunteers who have sustained life-changing injuries during the ongoing war with Russia.