Ukrainian doctor haunted by the destructive power of mines

Military doctor Mialkovskyi is haunted by the constant need to treat soldiers wounded by mines while Ukraine pushes its counter-offensive in Zaporizhzhia.

"It's heartbreaking to see 21-24 year old men who have lost their feet or even their lower legs because of landmines. Even if they survive, they will have to use prosthetics for the rest of their lives," said military doctor Dmytro Mialkovskyi, who works at a hospital in Zaporizhzhia, southern Ukraine.

He said the number of mine-related injuries he has treated since the start of the counteroffensive in June is much higher than during his time in Kherson and Kramatorsk, or in Zaporizhzhia last year. The hospital receives at least two mine-related injuries a day, and on peak days it can reach 11, including amputations.

Ukraine is currently the most mined country in the world , with more than 170,000 square kilometers of territory covered with mines and other explosives. Experts say it will take Ukraine decades to clean up the damage caused by the war.

The Russian defense line and minefields, established over the past year, have held back Kiev’s counter-offensive. The density and types of mines used by Russia mean that every advance by Ukrainian infantry carries the risk of casualties.

A photo of wounded Ukrainian soldiers at a hospital in the city of Dnipro was published in May. Photo: Washington Post — A photo of wounded Ukrainian soldiers at a hospital in the city of Dnipro was published in May. Photo: *Washington Post*

As the Ukrainian counteroffensive began, Mialkovskyi's work at the hospital became more hectic.

Previously, he usually performed non-urgent surgeries like repairing hernias. Now, this military doctor has to focus on removing bullets and repairing limbs torn off by mines for wounded soldiers.

Every day, Mialkovskyi performs 3-4 major surgeries, along with some minor surgeries, mainly treating wounded Ukrainian soldiers transferred from field hospitals or battlefields.

Samer Attar, a Syrian-American orthopedic surgeon who volunteers at the same hospital as Mialkovskyi, said wounded soldiers hit by landmines often suffer horrific injuries, with “organs that are incredibly deformed and damaged.”

Having spent time treating patients in bombing raids in Syria, Attar is no stranger to seeing the injuries Ukrainian soldiers have suffered from landmines.

"Underneath the surgical drape, the patient's arms and legs had become a jumble of bone fragments, tendons and muscles," he shared about the trauma of his profession.

High-impact and high-heat injuries, such as those caused by blasts, can alter body tissues at the molecular level, meaning patients will have to wait several days for doctors to remove the necrotic flesh and determine which parts of the limbs can be saved.

Surgeons treat wounded Ukrainian soldiers at an emergency treatment unit in Zaporizhzhia in May. Photo: Reuters — Surgeons treat wounded Ukrainian soldiers at an emergency treatment unit in Zaporizhzhia in May. Photo: *Reuters*

Doctors then “have to fight to save every inch” of the patient during the main surgery. Saving as much of the injured limb as possible will help the patient adapt to the prosthetic more quickly and easily.

Mialkovskyi said he was recently interpreting for a medical training session organized by American volunteers when he was called to assist in a surgery. He and another doctor had to try to save a 24-year-old soldier who had seriously injured both legs after stepping on a landmine.

With the patient in critical condition, Mialkovskyi had to make a split-second decision, and he chose to amputate both legs to save the soldier's life. The operation was etched in his mind for days.

"I did what I had to do. He had lost both legs and his life was in danger. I wasn't sure if he would survive," Mialkovskyi said.

As he examined the patient in the intensive care unit, Mialkovskyi felt relieved to know that he had saved the wounded soldier's life, although his condition was still serious. For doctors like Mialkovskyi, a patient's survival for another day was a great victory, adding precious hope to the hardships and sufferings of war.

Still, having to perform such surgeries over and over again is frustrating for doctors. “It’s hard to feel at peace when your job is to amputate healthy young men,” Attar said.

Mialkovskyi was also haunted by the horrific injuries that changed people's lives after a single explosion. "We tried to pretend nothing happened, but it was painful," he said.

Mr. Hoang (According to Washington Post )

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