Severe leg injury during a combat mission

During a mortar attack, he sustained a critical injury to his right lower leg — a fragment tore off the leg below the knee. Ahead lies complex treatment to restore the bone and regain the ability to walk.

Case Summary

• Date of injury: July 7, 2025
• Circumstances: mortar attack during a combat mission
• Injury: gunshot-shrapnel wound to the right lower leg, below the knee
• Complications: multi-fragment fracture of both bones in the lower leg
• Condition: after multiple surgeries, external fixation device, bone autograft, metal plates

His commitment to duty and protecting his comrades was unwavering.

On July 7, 2025, in the Vovchansk direction, the unit came under mortar fire. One of the shells exploded nearby, and a fragment tore off his right leg below the knee.

At first, he did not immediately realize the severity of the injury, but seeing his leg barely hanging by soft tissue made him understand how critical it was.

Despite the shock and blood loss, he remained conscious and crawled to his fellow soldiers. They quickly carried him to safety, applied tourniquets, and stopped the bleeding, saving his life.

In his mind, there was only one thought — endure and survive.

Through-and-through gunshot-shrapnel wound of the right lower leg with multi-fragment fracture of the distal third of both tibia and fibula. Status post external fixation device placement and multiple surgical interventions.

What this means

The bones in his right leg were shattered into multiple fragments. Complex surgeries were performed to clean the wound, stabilize the bones, and restore tissues so that the leg can heal correctly.

What has been done

• July 10, 2025 — placement of external fixation device
• Multiple surgeries to clean the wound and stabilize the bones

Open reduction of fractures of the distal third of the tibia and fibula, decortication, bone autograft, and angle-stable plate osteosynthesis.

What this means

Doctors opened the fracture site, aligned the bones, filled the defect with the patient’s own bone tissue, and fixed it securely with metal plates. This allows the bone to heal correctly and ensures stability even in complex fractures.