"If I have a leg, I will walk!"

In a world of continuous trials and extraordinary challenges, the Ukrainian military has shown incredible strength and dedication in fulfilling its mission of defending our land.

One of them is Petro Kulyk. The defender is currently in Washington, DC, undergoing prosthetics and rehabilitation. Please read about the military training in Germany, Petro's combat experience, and his injury in the interview.

The soldier is from the city of Kovel, Volyn region. He was mobilized to the Armed Forces in the spring of 2023. Petro has a university degree in engineering technology from Lviv Polytechnic National University. He also took an officer's course in Odesa and studied in Germany, which gave him a lot of practical knowledge. 

 

Where were you recruited after returning from Germany?

To the 80th Assault Brigade as a platoon commander. Our company was already based in the area of the combat mission - the village of Kostyantynivka, Bakhmut direction, Donetsk region. 

 

How did you get injured? 

It was during a combat mission near the village of Klishchiyivka. I was in an evacuation group. It was on Independence Day, 24 August 2023. We were evacuating a wounded comrade from a neighboring unit. And then there was a shelling, it's hard to say what kind. I got a mine-blast wound. At first, it seemed insignificant, but I stayed at the position for almost a day: there were active hostilities and we had to wait for night to evacuate.

 

What happened after your injury?

After that, I was taken to a stabilization center in Druzhkivka. They examined the wound, removed the fragment, and cleaned the vessels. I could not feel the lower part of my left leg at that time. I spent about a day in Druzhkivka, and then I was transferred to Dnipro. Here I was fitted with VAC systems on my left thigh. And when they were replacing one of the systems, they saw, that there was nothing left to save... 

When I was wounded, my artery was severed and blood poisoning occurred. That is why it was not possible to save my left leg.

 

How did you survive it? 

I took it in stride. At first of course, I was happy that I hadn't lost my leg... But it happened as it happened. Luckily, I was saved. 

 

What were your feelings on the eve of your trip to the USA for prosthetics?

I was waiting for it so much! I was positive - I really wanted to stand on both legs. Even just to make it less conspicuous that I don't have a leg. Sometimes children come up and look at me on the street, but everyone  understands.

Once again, we would like to thank everyone who supports Ukrainian soldiers during their prosthetic treatment. These are our partners — the specialists of the MCOP clinic and patron Vadym Stolar.