Bionic hands for wounded soldiers: Ukrainian startup cannot keep up with demand

For Ukrainians who lost limbs in the war, the alternative to modern prosthetics is no longer a wooden board with wheels. A growing network of clinics, startups and research laboratories is developing bionic limbs, but production still cannot keep up with demand.

The challenge echoes an earlier generation of wounded Ukrainians. When Soviet forces entered Afghanistan in the early 1980s, many Ukrainians were drafted into the army. Soldiers who lost their legs often received only a makeshift medical version of a skateboard to help them move. "That was the only possibility," said Antonina Kumka, a former Ukrainian government adviser. "They simply moved around the cities on wooden boards with wheels."

Kumka later intensified her work as co-founder of Protez Hub, an initiative focused on improving life for Ukrainians after amputations. It operates alongside a wider network created to support the wounded. Modern Ukrainian companies are producing advanced prostheses controlled by muscle signals and assisted by artificial intelligence.

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That was the only possibility.

The number of amputations remains disputed. Media reports often cite a figure of up to 100,000, apparently based on government estimates. New Scientist has noted that Ukraine may have an interest in presenting higher estimates because they draw international attention and support. Kumka, who has access to official statistics through her work, told the publication that the actual number was about 24,100 from the beginning of 2021 through the end of 2025.

Even the lower estimate represents a profound loss for a generation of Ukrainians. Britain recorded 12,000 servicemen who lost limbs during the six years of World War II, while about 1,705 U.S. military personnel underwent amputations from injuries sustained during 16 years of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ukraine, already among Europe's lower-income countries before Russia's invasion, faces a major challenge in providing medical care and prostheses. Kyiv-based Esper Bionics created a bionic hand for 26-year-old volunteer Oleksis Kholas, who lost his right arm while working as a combat medic near the front line in eastern Ukraine. He could no longer pursue a civilian career as a surgeon, but the new hand allowed him to remain in health care. He now works as a rehabilitation specialist and helps others.

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They simply moved around the cities on wooden boards with wheels.