--- title: "Two wounded Ukrainian soldiers just received bionic robot arms" description: "Two Ukrainian soldiers lost arms to landmines during the conflict. Both are getting bionic robot arms with the help of Superhumans." date: "2023-01-24" modified: "2023-01-24" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-moments/robot-arms-superhumans/" categories: - "Military News" - "Technology" tags: - "Battlefield Medicine" - "Ukraine" --- # Two wounded Ukrainian soldiers just received bionic robot arms ![bionic robot arms]() *(Courtesy of Superhumans Center)* Andrii Gidzun and Vitalii Ivashchuk are Ukrainian soldiers who were wounded fighting for the defense of their country. Both of the soldiers lost their arms to landmines during the conflict. Both are relatively young, but they’re getting a new lease on life with the help of [Superhumans](), a modern war rehabilitation center with locations in Poland and Lviv, Ukraine. Superhumans has partnered with Bristol, UK-based tech company Open Bionics to create a custom-made 3D-printed bionic arm for each of the men. They will be the first war veterans to receive the new prosthesis. It’s called the Hero Arm, and it’s a fully-integrated prosthesis that was provided to the two soldiers in Munich, Germany, in January 2023. Its fully movable fingers and thumbs allow the men to pick up common objects, and are controlled by muscle movement in their forearms. "I am pleased that I have such an opportunity to get such a functional prosthesis. I did not even hope for it,” Vitalii, who is just 24 years old, [told Sky News](). "When the electrodes were applied and I had the opportunity to test this prosthesis, I just enjoyed it. I was pleased, to put it mildly." Superhumans fitted the two soldiers with the arms using funding provided by MasterCard, which is a chief sponsor of the organization. The company helped Superhumans raise over $40 million to build a new prosthetic and rehabilitation center in Lviv. Superhumans estimates that more than 5,000 Ukrainians, roughly half of them soldiers and the other half civilians, will require some kind of prosthetic after the war’s end. These numbers are based on the American experiences in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam. So far, [rough estimates say]() more than 16,000 civilians have been wounded or killed in Ukraine, with almost 6,500 confirmed dead. The center estimates that 62,000 square miles of Ukrainian territory are now minefields, with reports of mines being picked up by small children. ![bionic robot arms superhumans]() *(Courtesy of Superhumans Center) Photo via www.superhumans.com/* "We're aiming for it to be able to hold objects of different sizes, to pick things up, hold a cup of coffee, tie shoelaces, brush teeth – these are the kind of things that we focused on in the design," he said. Superhumans’ mission is to provide these casualties with the best medical treatments and most advanced prostheses possible, and do it close to their homes, in their own language. It is expected that once the center in Lviv is open, it will be able to help up to 3,000 patients every year, free of charge. The founder of the nonprofit, Andrey Stavnitser, caught headlines for calling in an airstrike on his own mansion when it was occupied by Russian forces. “We can see this is a war against civilians,” [Stavniser told CNN]() in September 2022. “We see a lot of casualties, we see a lot of traumatized civilians… we know it’s impossible to get these people out to the UK or the U.S. because there are too many of them. So we created Superhuman to help these people. They can get face reconstruction, limb reconstruction surgery, and treat their PTSD problems.” Open Bionics’ Joel Gibbard says the new prosthesis is not yet considered a total replacement for the human hand, but it is designed to help its wearer carry out the functions of everyday life. The arm size can be adjusted for children as young as eight years old. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()