1 of 2 “I realized that I can live without a leg, I can stand up and walk on crutches, that’s fine,” says Ruslama Danilkina — Photo: DW “I realized that I can live without a leg, I can get up and walking with crutches, that’s fine,” says Ruslama Danilkina — Photo: DW
“At first I was unhappy that I survived, it was very difficult to come to terms with my new life,” says Ruslana Danilkina. She sits on a park bench and puts her crutches aside. “But I realized that I live without a leg, I can stand up and walk with crutches, it’s possible.”
Every day Ruslana walks through her hometown of Odessa in southern Ukraine. The young woman claims that living there gives her the strength she desperately needs.
A year ago, Ruslana volunteered to fight at the front and defend her country against Russia. She was only 18 and it wasn’t an easy decision. In the early weeks of the war she was reluctant to join the army.
“My biggest fear was not knowing what I was getting myself into and how long I would be away from home,” he told DW.
“But I wanted to go. This is my country and I love it very much. I figured the more people that joined the fight, the stronger we would be. I knew I wasn’t going to perform miracles, but I wanted to do something to help my country,” she recalls.
The young woman’s family was an inspiration to her. Ruslana’s mother and stepfather were deployed to Donbass in 2015 as part of Ukraine’s operation against the socalled proRussian “People’s Republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk. They also volunteered to fight in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.
Ruslana joined the Ukrainian army in April last year. Initially, she was tasked with processing files in Zaporizia. But she wanted to be closer to the front a request that was rejected several times due to her young age. Eventually, however, she prevailed and was assigned to a communications unit.
The day everything changed
On February 10, 2023, Ruslana and her companions were on a combat mission in the Kherson region. Suddenly, during a Russian artillery attack, shrapnel hit the passenger seat where Ruslana was sitting.
“I remember the moment of the explosion well: I crouched, then landed on my knee and immediately realized what had happened, although I couldn’t believe I had lost a leg,” Ruslana told DW. “I asked my comrades what’s going on, but they didn’t say anything.”
Survival was accidental. Paramedics passed the vehicle she was in and administered first aid to prevent her from bleeding to death. Ruslana was taken to another vehicle where she saw her severed leg. In a state of shock, she closed her eyes and kept them shut as she was taken to a hospital.
Ruslana underwent surgery in the city of Chornobayivka. Doctors tried to save his leg but couldn’t. The amputation was performed above the knee of the left leg.
On the same day, Ruslana was taken to Mykolaiv, where she stayed for three days before being transferred to her hometown of Odessa for treatment. In the hospital, the young woman cried for days until she finally found her will to live, she says.
Since the tragic incident, she has had the support of her family. Her brother Wladyslaw and her wife Angelina supported her in these difficult times. She also received support from people on social media. Today Ruslana has more than 37 thousand followers on Instagram.
“I remember the first operation in Odessa, when people heard about my story,” says Ruslana. “Later, when I was taken to the ward, I didn’t have time to think about the leg and the pain because I was constantly on the phone. Many people have written to me and still do.”
2 of 2 “I knew I wouldn’t perform miracles, but I wanted to do something to help my country,” says Ruslana (right) — Photo: DW “I knew I wouldn’t perform miracles, but I wanted to do something to help my country,” says Ruslana (right) — Photo: DW
phantom pain
Ruslana’s determination to move on with her life despite losing a leg has made her a symbol of power and strength in the eyes of many. But processing the loss took time.
“I don’t know exactly what day I accepted this new reality,” he says. “At first I thought I was used to it. But when I went for a walk and went back to the ward, I thought this can’t happen.”
“I remember being on the street three or four weeks after the amputation when my brother took a picture of me. I looked at the picture and saw myself with only one leg. I don’t think I fully understood what happened.”
Ruslana says she feels much better now, both physically and emotionally. However, two months after the incident, she was still suffering from phantom pains. “I stopped taking intramuscular analgesics a long time ago, it was my will,” he recalls.
“I wanted to feel my leg as it was, and of course the pain came back first, although it lessened over time,” he adds. “My psychologist taught me how to make my brain realize that my leg is gone. This is because the brain remembers the leg before the injury and keeps sending impulses. That is why we feel pain.”
Currently, Ruslana is taking sedatives. Until recently she suffered from panic attacks, but medication and regular psychotherapy are helping her to recover.
Again the dream of ice skating
Ruslana has had five surgeries so far. She is in a special hospital preparing for a prosthetic leg. Have your leg measured every day to see if your girth is still shrinking. This monitoring is important to select and adjust the future prosthesis. Also, Ruslana will soon start physiotherapy to rebuild muscles that have atrophied over the past two months.
Thanks to donations, the young woman received a modern prosthesis made in Germany. Once she’s adjusted to her prosthetic leg, she wants to pursue her dreams, including going back to ice skating.
“I also dream of owning a bike,” he says. “Losing a leg doesn’t mean I can’t live my dreams.”
Ruslana wants to motivate others who were also wounded in the war not to lose faith. “I want to show people that anything is possible and you don’t have to sit back and hide. It’s scary and it hurts to go through something this serious, but life goes on.”