After amputation and captivity in Russia, he returned to army: Airborne Forces are launching project for wounded soldiers
Oleksii Kapeliushnyi, a soldier with the 25th Sicheslav Independent Airborne Brigade, has returned to active duty with the Airborne Assault Forces following a serious injury, an amputation, and captivity by the Russians.
His story has become one of the central narratives in the Defence Forces’ new project, ‘Despite_with the Defence Forces. Be among your own’, which launched on 21 September. The project has been set up for servicemen who have suffered serious injuries and undergone prosthetic fitting, and who wish to continue their service in the Defence Forces, reports Censor.NET.
- As part of the project, service personnel are offered roles that do not involve working directly on the front line: unmanned systems, HR, logistics and supply, and training and education. Applications can be submitted via the project’s website by selecting a role, after which a recruiter from the Airborne Forces will contact the candidate.
- The Airborne Assault Forces emphasise that receiving a prosthesis does not in itself mean the end of service: soldiers who have undergone amputations are already carrying out tasks, including working with unmanned systems and ground-based robotic systems.
One such soldier is Oleksii Kapeliushnyi. He told journalist Yuliia Kirienko in an interview how he lost his leg in battle, continued to hold his position, survived Russian captivity, and returned to active duty.
During one of the battles, Kapelyushny found himself surrounded. After sustaining a serious leg injury, he was forced to amputate it himself:
"I realised that my leg was really getting in the way. I couldn’t think of anything better than cutting it off. That way, I managed to hold my ground for about 2½ hours," said Kapeliushnyi.
After he was wounded, Kapelyushnyi was taken to a hospital in occupied Horlivka, where his leg was amputated above the knee. There, one of the nurses secretly brought him food. "Not everyone here wants to be part of Russia; people here are waiting for Ukraine," she told Kapeliushnyi. He still remembers that encounter today. "It’s worth liberating Horlivka for the sake of this one person alone," said the soldier.
After that, the paratrooper was taken prisoner by the Russians and passed through Olenivka. He recounts the beatings and torture suffered by Ukrainian prisoners of war, as well as the extremely harsh conditions of their detention.
Kapeliushnyi returned from captivity on crutches, which, he said, he had exchanged for a piece of bread. He also managed to smuggle out information about Ukrainian soldiers being held by Russia.
After undergoing surgery, rehabilitation and receiving a prosthesis, Kapeliushnyi did not leave the army – he returned to active duty with the Airborne Forces.
The Airborne Assault Forces say that the stories of Kapelyushny and other servicemen highlight a wider problem: following serious injuries, the army risks losing personnel with unique combat experience, even though their knowledge and skills may be needed in other roles.
As part of the ‘Prote_z DShV. Be among your own’ initiative, the Airborne Forces will also be sharing the stories of servicemen from the 7th Rapid Reaction Corps and the 8th Airborne Forces Corps who continue to serve despite having undergone amputations and suffered other serious injuries.
