The vehicle of a British volunteer in Ukraine was struck by a Russian drone, leaving him with life-changing injuries. Now the charity wants to highlight all of those injured.
Eddy Scott, a 28-year-old Brit from Dorset, travelled to Ukraine in October 2022 as a humanitarian volunteer. A former sailor, he delivered drinking water to frontline towns, repaired war-damaged homes, and assisted medical teams. In January this year, while helping to transport civilians out of Pokrovsk, his humanitarian van was targeted and struck by an FPV drone. Everyone survived the explosion, but Eddy sustained severe injuries, losing his left arm and leg.
According to the charity Superhumans, which specialises in prosthetics and reconstructive surgery, over 80,000 people have lost limbs as a result of the ongoing conflict. With the help of Superhumans, Eddy says he is making good progress in his rehabilitation. However, the charity reports that war-related injuries are increasing by 15 percent each year.
To highlight the growing number of casualties and draw attention to the ongoing impact of the war, Superhumans has replaced the lamp on the statue of healthcare pioneer Florence Nightingale in London with a prosthetic painted in the colours of the Ukrainian flag.
The initiative has received support from Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Unite, as well as heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Additional artificial limbs have also been placed around the statue’s base, each featuring a QR code that leads viewers to a video series titled “Ukraine: Defending Freedom,” sharing personal narratives of patients at the Superhumans Centre.
Olga Rudnieva, CEO of the charity, stated: “We want to keep attention on the war in Ukraine and highlight the ongoing battle we’re having to supply those in need.
“In the modern era, the development of prosthetics means that people can get back to living life normally and it’s our aim, in an abnormal circumstance, to get people feeling themselves again.”
The Superhumans war trauma centre was built in just four-and-a-half months while Lviv faced ongoing attacks in 2022. Since then, it has provided services to more than 2,000 patients and this year has extended its reach to Dnipro and Odessa.
Eddy Scott emphasised, “It is so important that we continue to talk about Ukraine. So many people have forgotten that this war is still happening. All of us are tired, but it doesn’t mean that we can stop.”
Representing Virgin Unite, Sir Richard Branson stated: “Ukraine’s fight is not just for its own future, but for the ideals of freedom and democracy everywhere.
“Since Russia’s invasion, the Ukrainian people have paid a terrible price. They’ve sacrificed their limbs, homes, and lives. It’s easy, from a distance, to feel fatigue or helplessness.
“But we cannot look away. Freedom is never free, and Ukraine is paying the cost on all our behalf. Let’s keep standing together for Ukraine.”