Since the start of the Russo-Ukranian War, the number of people in need of amputations in Ukraine has spiked to levels that haven't been seen since World War I, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The rise in injuries requiring amputation reflects "how Russia wages the war, with heavy use of mines and artillery, missile and drone attacks targeting soldiers and civilians alike," the Journal noted.
Russia's use of heavy artillery and the "deployment of multi-layered mines on the 600-mile front line in eastern and southern Ukraine" has led to a sharp increase in serious injuries, the Journal added. The outlet estimated that between 20,000 and 50,000 Ukrainians have lost a limb or two since the beginning of the war 17 months ago. This data came from previously unreleased estimates from prosthetics firms, doctors, and charities. The number could be higher than estimated, as many amputations aren't reported until months after the procedure.
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Before the war, Ukraine had a few thousand amputations yearly, but now hospitals and doctors are overwhelmed, with few expert staff to keep up with the influx. The Journal also pointed out that while military personnel who need amputations receive $20,000 in government funds to get prostheses, many civilians struggle to pay without help from charities. Dr. Kostyantyn Mylytsya, who focused on cosmetic surgery before the war, runs a clinic that treats and rehabilitates amputees. Clinics like his are needed "in every town across Ukraine; they must be as common as dentists," he told the Journal.
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