A UKRAINIAN woman who lost a leg on the front line hailed the surgeons who saved her — and inspired her to help others.
Rusya Danilkina, 21, filmed the aftermath of the blast that changed her life and, incredibly, is now empowered by it.
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She was a radio operator in the Ukrainian army in February 2023 when she was hit by shrapnel from one of Vladimir Putin’s glide bombs in Kherson.
Two years on, she has become a social media star, documenting her recovery to 125,000 Instagram followers.
That includes the nine seconds of horrific footage from Kherson.
She said: “I had my phone in my right hand as I looked down and saw that my left leg was gone.
“I could smell explosives and flesh, there was blood everywhere and parts of my body, it was terrible and I thought I was going to die.
“I knew in an instant my life would never be the same again. I took the video and sent it to my brother as I wanted him to know that I had been badly hurt.
“I still watch the video and it might sound crazy but I like the moment of my injury because it changed my life and showed how strong I can be. If it was not for my injury, I would not have the life that I have now.”
Rusya said in the weeks afterwards she would “lie in my hospital bed staring at the ceiling thinking I did not want to live any more”.
But she saw others with “worse injuries” before being taken to the Superhumans Centre in Lviv, recently visited by Prince Harry.
Since it opened in April 2023, it has fitted 1,100 patients with 1,500 prosthetic limbs.
One was Rusya, who said: “This is not just a hospital, it is a place of power. It gives people a future.”
She now loves surfing and rock climbing and has been to Australia, France and the US.
She also works at Superhumans, helping other veterans adapt to civilian life.
Rusya said: “People ask where I get my strength from. When you see someone learn to walk again at the hospital or hold a glass for the first time with a new hand, you can’t not be inspired. Everything is in your head — if you decide to succeed then you will.”
Most patients at Superhumans are soldiers but civilians such as Olena Levytska, 38, are also treated.
She fell under a train and lost a leg as crowds fled a shell attack in Kryvyi Rih.
Her children now call her Terminator thanks to her new limb with “Made in Ukraine” printed on it.
Olena, who ran a clothes business, said: “I have had 19 operations but I’m fine and can do things better than some with two legs. I feel my future looks bright.”
Royal Navy warship HMS Tyne shadowed Russian Kilo-class submarine Krasnodar as it travelled home from the eastern Med through the English Channel.