A nine-story apartment block reduced to rubble, at least 46 people dead, and over 80 civilians left injured. These are the damages of one of the most brutal rounds of Russian state-sponsored terrorism, this time in the form of a missile attack on the east-central Ukrainian city of Dnipro. For over a year now, Russia has been waging a genocidal war against the Ukrainian state, culture, and people.

Despite widespread expectations of a swift Russian triumph, 2022 has been marked by Ukrainian military victories – from Kyiv to Kharkiv and Kherson. While the situation on the battleground has become more of a stalemate in recent months, one cannot fail to note the heroic Ukrainian resistance. It forms the very basis of this civilian-military success – signifying Ukraine’s lively civil society, democratic spirit, and distinct national and cultural identity – has seemingly only hardened the Russian view that Ukraine, as a nation, should become a thing of the past.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainians have remained ‘unbroken’, as they continue to grapple with a range of challenges on the battlefield and beyond. These include the plight of healthcare providers who are targeted by shelling and the physical and emotional trauma endured by those who have been injured in the conflict. In response, the City Municipality of Lviv has launched a special campaign – Unbroken (Nezlamni) – to establish the first National Rehabilitation Centre of Ukraine. Last summer, we travelled to the city of Lviv to visit the centre, speak to the people behind Unbroken, and talk to patients who have undergone treatment there.

Unbroken seeks to ensure that war-affected individuals of all ages receive comprehensive and high-quality medical care that includes reconstructive surgery, orthopaedics, and state-of-the-art robotic prosthetics. According to representatives from the City Municipality of Lviv, “We are building this initiative not on the sorrow and pity of people, but on the contrary we want to show how resilient and unbroken Ukrainians are. Ukrainians are fighters and that's what we want to show.”

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Since the full-scale invasion in early 2022, Russia’s war-crime campaign has vastly accelerated, now having claimed the lives of thousands of Ukrainian civilians (over 60,000 have been registered by Ukrainian authorities), including hundreds of children. Next to murdering civilians, these Russian war crimes have left many Ukrainian people wounded. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has recorded over 14,000 civilian injuries as a result of Russian military aggression up until April 2023. However, the OHCHR notes that this number is likely to be a vast underestimate; in many locations that are experiencing heavy hostilities – most notably in the Donbas region – reporting has been severely obstructed. Considering the destruction the Russian armed forces are unleashing in these regions, the number of civilian injuries is likely to be much higher.

While it thus remains unclear how many casualties Ukraine is suffering, it has become clear that Ukrainians are willing to pay the highest price to fight off Russian imperialism. On 12 September, in a speech addressing Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy captured the Ukrainian resilience impeccably: “Read my lips: Without gas or without you? Without you. Without light or without you? Without you. Without water or without you? Without you. Without food or without you? Without you”.

For Ukraine to stay without Russia indefinitely, its society needs to carry on being as resilient, lively, and resolute as it is today. This requires, first and foremost, a physically and mentally fit society. Priority number one in this regard is providing care of the highest quality to all those that are suffering injuries in their fight for a free, democratic, and sovereign Ukraine.

Healing the wounded: comprehensive medical care for civilians and soldiers

Lviv, previously a tourist magnet known for its beautiful architecture and buzzing cafes, has since the full-scale invasion become one of the largest refugee hubs for internally displaced peoples (IDPs) and for those who seek medical care and assistance. As a result, the city of Lviv has become a vital location for medical assistance, and the First Medical Association of Lviv has been a crucial partner in this effort, providing specialised medical aid to over six thousand Ukrainians affected by the ongoing hostilities. Injured patients, including soldiers and civilians, are transported from frontline hospitals using evacuation trains and ambulances on a daily basis, making hospitals in Lviv some of the busiest in the country. “We need this centre [Unbroken], to help Ukraine and to help the people. Not only the civilians are in need, but also soldiers need high medical care. We’re establishing this centre to help all victims of the war”, shared Dr. Hnat Herych, the chief of the reconstructive surgery and microsurgery department of Unbroken.

For soldiers, Unbroken provides emergency medical treatment, including reconstructive surgeries to soldiers who have suffered from the frontlines. Dr. Hnat Herych noted that "no other countries before had the experience to work with such injuries because we didn’t have wars where both sides used very specific, very modern aviation, rocket systems, and others." As a result, the medical expertise and insight, also for long-term rehabilitation and mental health support for traumtised soldiers, provided by Unbroken are essential to ensure that soldiers receive the best possible care.

For civilians, Unbroken serves as a medical facility catering to both physical and mental health needs. Whether it's a sudden injury or a chronic medical condition, Unbroken offers a reliable platform for people to seek assistance and receive appropriate medical care. “It is not so easy [to see this trauma], because there are a lot of people from your country, you see a lot of families, where all families have serious injuries, and some members of that family can die…” shared a nurse from Unbroken. In August 2022, the Unbroken Mothers project was launched to provide shelter and support to internally displaced pregnant women or those with newborn babies affected by Russia's war against Ukraine. The project offers newly built houses equipped with a bedroom, living area, kitchen, child nurseries, and medical consultations, along with an on-call doctor.

During our visit to Unbroken Mothers, we met Elina and her pregnant mother, who used to live in a rundown dormitory room in Lviv without a private shower or toilet, infested with bugs and cockroaches, and a broken window. They had to flee their hometown in Eastern Ukraine and relied on donations to survive. Now, they are grateful for the good and stable living conditions provided by the new place: “It has everything we need, including doctors and help.” This is crucial as Elina’s mother is expecting her second child and her husband is still serving in the army. As one of the coordinators of Unbroken Mothers said “we would like to alleviate the burden on these vulnerable women, providing them with a safe and secure environment to recover and prepare for their future.”

For Ukrainians, Unbroken serves as a crucial part of the healing and rehabilitation process for victims of Russia's war against Ukraine. One family from New York, a small village in the Donetsk region, was forced to flee their home due to the war's proximity. They settled in Kramatorsk but were struck by a rocket attack at the railway station, leaving the mother and daughter severely injured. The daughter lost both legs, and the mother lost one leg. The 13-year-old son has become the family's caretaker, as their father has died in the war. Despite their hardships, the family remains unbroken and hopeful for their future. They have since relocated to the United States, awaiting prosthetics after receiving preparatory treatment in Ukraine. They aspire to return to Ukraine, but this is challenging due to the maintenance of prosthetics. To address this, efforts are underway to provide necessary medical services in Ukraine to enable their return. It is a stepping stone for many civilians and soldiers who fight to see the future of Ukraine. Starting from providing medical care, to providing shelter and social assistance.

Unbroken is also committed to adapting infrastructure in the country to better meet the needs of those who are struggling. This includes everything from building new hospitals to improving access to clean water and adapting public buildings to be more accessible for people with disabilities. “We understand that everyone’s scars will be different, there will be physical and mental scars that we will need to heal,” said a member of Lviv City Municipality. With war on such a big scale, “a lot of people will need physical and psychological rehabilitation for the next 100 years.”

Initiatives such as Unbroken demonstrate that the world need not subjugate to the 19th-century sphere of influence-notions about the world. In times of rising jingoism by great powers, the Unbroken resilience of Ukraine shows that David can stand up to Goliath. It is projects like Unbroken, which unifies the Ukrainian people, that have proven imperative in Ukraine staying sovereign. In this light, Unbroken can be a source of inspiration, from Palestine to Taiwan, that the global battle against imperialism can be won.