FC Dynamo Kyiv continues to provide comprehensive assistance to our military, who are defending our land from the invaders during the full-scale Russian invasion, protecting freedom and peaceful life in a free, independent Ukraine.
Photo: fcdynamo.comOur club responds to the requests of Ukrainian defenders in a timely manner and provides them with everything they need: machinery, medical equipment, food, etc. Today, FC Dynamo Kyiv helped to organise prosthetics for the military. The club provided the premises of the arena of the base in Koncha Zaspa, locker rooms, drinking water, snacks to make the soldiers feel comfortable, and nice gifts.
The positive emotions did not end there, as FC Dynamo Kyiv prepared another surprise for our heroes. When the guys got used to the new equipment, they were visited by Dynamo first team players Andriy Yarmolenko, Vitaliy Buyalsky, who are recovering from injuries, and Vladyslav Dubinchak.
The soldiers welcomed the players, surrounded them from all sides and could not believe their eyes. The meeting was very warm, friendly and full of jokes. After talking to the professional footballers, each soldier was able to take a photo and get an autograph on the T-shirts specially prepared for the event. In addition, the players presented the guests with Dynamo souvenirs and gifts.
On 21 March, 30 amputees who have already been provided by the state with ordinary, everyday prostheses received sports prostheses to go in for running, football, boxing, cross-fit and other types of physical activity. Now they will be able to live an even fuller life and get new opportunities. It should be noted that 60 soldiers have previously received prostheses from the U+ rehabilitation project, so the organisation has helped 90 of our defenders in total.
They tried on the new items with interest and enthusiasm, and U+ representatives and staff helped them adjust the prostheses to the right size and make them as comfortable as possible. After that, the soldiers tried to move and run in them, sharing their new impressions with each other.
New Balance, the sponsor of FC Dynamo Kyiv, also took part in the event and presented each soldier with comfortable sports shoes that they really liked.
The meeting culminated in a small football match between Dynamo players and defenders wearing the new prostheses. Many of the guys admitted that they could never have imagined that they would be able to play together with their idols on the same football field. Everyone got a lot of bright, unforgettable impressions and positive emotions.
Oleksandra Mostepan, the head of the U+ System rehabilitation project and reconstructive surgeon, told us more about this event and Dynamo's participation in it:
- "Today, a very important event took place at the FC Dynamo (Kyiv) - a sports prosthetics event aimed at supporting the military who lost their limbs and still continue to defend our country. For one day, 30 soldiers came from the frontline to be fitted with two types of sports prostheses: a running prosthesis, which helps them feel more mobile in running sports, and a power prosthesis, which enables them to play boxing, basketball and other intense sports.
The state provides the guys with functional prostheses for everyday life. But most of the soldiers are young, active and want to play sports and return to their normal lives. After the first prosthetics we carried out in October, we realised that this is exactly what our defenders need. So we started scaling up the project, making 10 or 20 prosthetics, and today we have 30. When the guys return from the front, they don't have much time, so we have to do everything quickly and efficiently to ensure their activity and maximum functionality.
It is important that FC Dynamo Kyiv helps us. When we started this programme, we realised that all kinds of sports are open to our fighters. In particular, many of the guys were interested in football even before the full-scale war, so it is very important for many of them to express themselves in this game.
- How did you choose the soldiers for this project?
- We do not advertise, the military find out about us by sharing information with each other and filling out an application on our website stating that they need sports prosthetics. Depending on the anatomical features of the stump and amputation, we understand whether we can make it. For example, there are certain difficulties for people who have an amputation above the knee. And for those who have it below the knee, we immediately provide prostheses. Everything is done in line with the queue, and the waiting time is usually no more than a month. The U+ system helps both military and civilians, adults and children - in short, everyone affected by the war. But in practice, only 0.5-1% of the total number of people apply to us for sports prostheses for children. There are also a few percent of civilians. Of course, we respond to these requests. But it is the military who suffered the most from the war, and they are our priority, because we believe that supporting active servicemen is a way to bring our victory closer. Many of them, despite losing limbs, continue to defend the country, and I think it is our responsibility to provide them with the best functionality and help them in any way we can.
- Were the prostheses ready in advance? Did you take the military's measurements?
- These prostheses have a certain size grid. When the guys fill out the form to get the prostheses, they send us a photo and measurements of their stump, and we remotely select the size that can be adjusted after they have tried the prosthesis and tried it in practice. In general, they are prepared in advance, they are Danish-made prostheses, and we bring them from Denmark for each event. Our dream is to scale up this type of assistance because it is necessary and relevant. More and more guys want to get these functional prostheses, so we need to attract more resources for this. The great value of our organisation is that we bring donors and patients together. Today's event is also attended by people who provide us with resources and can see exactly who this help is being transferred to.
At a time when the world is gradually getting tired of the war and is reducing its resources to Ukraine, we need to be as open as possible, report in the best possible way and show the real stories of Ukrainians who need help.
- Who exactly is helping with resources and how much do the prostheses cost?
- It is the Danish company Levitate. When I travelled to Denmark in September 2023 to find what the boys and girls really needed, I met the founder of this organisation. He lost his limb at the age of 14, but could not get a sports prosthesis at public expense. This motivated him to study engineering and become a manufacturer of such prostheses himself, scaling up his project. We realised that we agreed on the same point of view and considered a person to be the main value, and we wanted to provide them with the best. We started discussing how to implement this in Ukraine. The guys from Levitate have an engineering degree, they come and install the prostheses, while helping to train our prosthetists, because these technologies are new, they use 3D printers and modern materials. Thus, our specialists will have the understanding and experience to use this technology. This is the sixth time that representatives of the Danish company have come to Ukraine.
As for who finances this assistance, we have many partners and donors both abroad and in Ukraine. These can be individuals who want to help a particular person. As I said, we bring donors and patients together, showing who needs what. Or it can be large corporations or global charities that are also interested in supporting Ukraine. Such partnerships are also very valuable to us.
- How did Dynamo help you organise this event?
- We approached the football club and told them that the boys wanted to reintegrate into active sports, and Dynamo wanted to take part in this project and offered their facilities. We kept the information about which players would come to meet them a secret until the very end, but they knew that it would be the first team players who would conduct a short training session and play a mini-match with them. And most importantly, they will support all the participants of the programme physically and psychologically.
I would also like to thank New Balance, which has also joined our programme and donated 30 pairs of running shoes to the military. The guys were very happy when they received these running shoes.
The Dynamo players did not hide their emotions either, and they were also very impressed by the meeting:
- "I want to thank you for what you do, for protecting us, our families, for allowing us to do our favourite thing, we really appreciate it," Dynamo midfielder Andriy Yarmolenko thanked the military . Such a meeting is a motivation for us, because we met fantastic people who do incredible things. Thanks to you, we can play football and give our fans joy and positive emotions. We have to support and thank our defenders every day. They are great, some of them run better than me (smiles). To be honest, I was very impressed," added Andriy.
- " The guys are great, they are holding on, they don't lose their fighting spirit, they move well, our game was very interesting. Victory was not at stake, because our main victory is ahead, it will be at the front. This was just a friendly match. I think this meeting is very valuable for both the military and us. We need to understand what kind of people are standing on the frontline for our country. They are all our heroes and our idols. I was very pleased to see them, to say hello and get to know them," Dynamo defender Vladislav Dubinchak shared his impressions of the meeting.
The military also spoke about their feelings about the new prostheses and shared their life stories and emotions from the meeting:
Maksim Buzaruk, a soldier of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade:
- "I had my prosthesis fitted at the Bez Obmezheniy (No Limits) centre, where I received an everyday prosthesis, and they advised me to get a sports prosthesis. I filled out an application, provided all the necessary information, and now I see how cool and comfortable this prosthesis is. I'm from Mykolaiv, where I played football since I was 5 years old, took part in competitions, playing for the Mykolaiv youth team - we played in the Ukrainian Cup, for the region and district. Now I can run with the guys on equal terms, because I feel good in the new prosthesis. I also play football on crutches. In the summer, the European Championships will be held in France, and I will participate.
My favourite team is Dynamo, and I remember their match in the Europa League against Everton, when they won 5-2. I watched the game on TV, and I remember that the emotions were incredible. In general, it was very interesting to follow the team's performances in both European competitions and the Ukrainian championship. Their confrontation with Shakhtar was worth a mention.
As for my injury, I got it on 22 July 2023. We were going to assault, but the landing was mined, I stepped on a mine and lost my leg. In three hours we were evacuated and taken to a stabilisation point. In those conditions, it was the best possible outcome. I finished my rehabilitation three months ago and now I am continuing my service. I plan to stay in my brigade, but in a different unit, because I want to continue to be useful. I am currently in Mykolaiv, and came to Kyiv for one day to get a sports prosthesis.
Ruslan Balyasnyi, a soldier with the Third Separate Assault Brigade, 1st Mechanised Battalion:
- I already have an ordinary, everyday prosthesis, then I found out that I could get a sports prosthesis, I was included in the list, and so I came to get it. I'm going to do sports in it, it's perfect for running. I was surprised how comfortable and functional it is, I really like it. I also have another prosthesis for boxing in the ring. I used to be active in sports before, but because of the loss of my leg, it has become more difficult now.
How did you get injured? We were asked to go to inspect the positions that our group was supposed to take, to do a little reconnaissance. Five of us went, we did everything and called an infantry fighting vehicle to come back. The driver drove right into the landing and hit a mine. We had to run away from there, because the equipment could have been seriously damaged. I ran into the landing and hit a mine. At first I didn't understand what had happened, but when I came to, my comrades helped me to put the tourniquet on, because I couldn't do it myself. I had to crawl into the mine crater and wait for an evacuation vehicle to pick us up.
Now I'm undergoing rehabilitation, but when I get used to my new leg, I want to go back to the army, though not to the infantry, but, for example, to drone operators. The war is not over, and the fact that I lost my leg should not stop me. The military say that if the knee remains, it is not considered an amputation.
I try not to lose my optimism and do not suffer from PTSD, which many people do. Sometimes I have flashbacks, but that's it. My family and friends inspire me a lot, because I went to this war for them. I want the Ukrainian flag to fly here, not the Russian flag, because I love my country.
Vadym Maznichenko, a soldier with the 14th Territorial Defence Battalion
- I am from Cherkasy, our battalion was formed in 2014, then we were assigned to the 72nd Mechanised Brigade named after the Black Cossacks. When we were near the village of Starohnativka in the Donetsk region (near Volnovakha), I was wounded during a mortar attack.
I didn't play football, but I support our teams in the European arena. I could never have imagined that I would play on the same pitch as the players of the Dynamo main team and the Ukrainian national team - one can only dream of that. It's great! It's nice to feel such respect for us, the veterans. We tried to play on equal terms with them. I hope that in the future Dynamo will form a team of amputees, as some Ukrainian clubs have already done. After all, many fighters want to play football, but they don't have the opportunity.
As for me personally, I used to run 10 km marathons. Archery is also close to my heart. I train hard because I have a goal to get to the Paralympic Games in this sport.
Today I tried a new prosthesis and had a great time with the guys, new acquaintances and conversations are always interesting. We received adaptive feet for cross-fit and running, they encourage and motivate veterans to go in for sports, give them new opportunities and do not limit them in any way. For example, with these prostheses I will be able to run the same 10 km in a marathon. It's great that attention is being paid to this, because not all amputees go to prosthetists on their own. Although we do need sports prostheses, many of us have dreams related to sports, and conventional prostheses do not provide such opportunities. Sports veterans are great.
