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.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Labubu: the 'creepy' dolls sparking brawls in the shopsCraze for the pint-sized soft toys has reached fever pitch among devotees
-
The top period dramas to stream nowThe Week Recommends Heaving bosoms and billowing shirts are standard fare in these historical TV classics
-
Women need more pain management during gynecological proceduresUnder the radar Pain should no longer be ignored
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sickspeed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
A tick-borne illness is making its rounds in new parts of AmericaUnder the radar Babesiosis, spread through blacklegged or deer tick bites, is a growing risk
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last yearspeed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
-
Trump seeks to cut drug prices via executive orderspeed read The president's order tells pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, but it will likely be thrown out by the courts
-
Hantavirus: the rare pathogen linked to rodents that attacks the lungsThe Explainer Despite the low risk of contracting it, the virus could be potentially deadly
-
RFK Jr. visits Texas as 2nd child dies from measlesSpeed Read An outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease continues to grow following a decade of no recorded US measles deaths
-
What does Health and Human Services do?The Explainer Cuts will 'dramatically alter' public health in America
-
Shingles vaccine cuts dementia risk, study findsSpeed Read Getting vaccinated appears to significantly reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia
