The Current Foundation, co-founded by philanthropist Oleg Krot, financed prosthetics for Ukrainian serviceman Mikhail Mikhoduy, who suffered serious injuries and amputations in the battles for Ukraine. Benefactors helped the soldier with treatment, rehabilitation, and adaptation to new bionic and mechanical prostheses. His story is about dedication to service, invincibility, and the desire to be active and useful again.
Mikhail Mikhoduy before prosthetics
Mikhail Mikhoduy is a serviceman of the engineering unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served as a sapper, then as a mechanic-driver of tracked vehicles, went through several specialized trainings and received the rank of junior sergeant, becoming a squad leader. His unit was engaged in engineering support – from digging trenches to evacuating equipment and the work of sapper groups.
In 2022, Mikhail was sent to a company at the front lines near Bakhmut. There he came under 120mm mortar fire.
"I was thrown aside. Immediately – my arms were torn off, my legs were broken, half my face was torn off. Six brothers carried me two kilometers under fire. In the car, I was already closing my eyes, but my comrade repeated: "Don't sleep! Hold on," – Mikhail Mikhoduy recalled.
He was evacuated to hospital, where a long struggle for life began.
"The first operation lasted five hours, then dozens of interventions followed. I had an infection. The doctors warned me: either amputation now or later – otherwise I won't survive," he said.
Mikhail spent more than a year in Kyiv hospitals, then in Lviv, and then in Dnipro at a prosthetic plant. In total, he underwent 66 operations. Despite exhaustion, he remained active and determined to recover.
“I can’t sit still: I need to do something every day, otherwise there will be no progress,” he noted.
At the stage of preparation for prosthetics, Mikhail turned to the Current Foundation for help. The benefactors supported him financially and organizationally, helped with the selection and adjustment of modern prostheses. As a result, he received a right bionic hand with individual grip modes programmable via an application, a left mechanical hand for everyday and technical tasks, as well as a left leg with mechanics and hydraulics, allowing him to confidently walk and withstand loads.
"One day I immediately put on the prostheses and started testing them. At first, simple movements: picking up a mug, lifting a small object. Then more complex things: repairing a car, working with tools. Now I can even sit on a gooseneck and drive away. But the main thing is not to stop. A prosthesis is not a thing that can be put on a shelf. This is daily work, otherwise there will be no point in it," emphasized Mikhail Mikhoduy.
According to him, the adaptation process requires patience and discipline.
"Guys, if you don't be lazy and take care of yourself, then there will definitely be progress. Small steps every day – and you will again feel that you can do more, " he advised other wounded soldiers preparing for prosthetics.
Despite all the trials, Mikhail remains optimistic.
"My greatest wish is for the war to end and for peace to come. And then I'll have enough work: I have equipment, tractors, and I'll do what I know how to do and what I love," he said.
Whether he will return to duty will be decided by doctors and commissions after a full adaptation cycle, but he has already proven that he can lead an active life, work and even train with weapons.
There are already more than 100,000 amputees in Ukraine, both military and civilian, who suffered from Russian shelling. The state is rolling out prosthetic programs, but the scale of the problem is enormous. That is why the help of charities such as Oleg Krot's Current Foundation is crucial.
The foundation has helped more than one soldier return to life after being wounded.
“When I look at my prostheses and what I can already do on my own – from small things to complex things – I am grateful to everyone who helped me along this path,” concluded Mikhail Mikhoduy.
Stories like these restore faith, strengthen society and remind us that every step towards recovery is a step towards our common Victory.