From Battlefield to Paralympics: Ukrainian Soldier’s Journey of Resilience and Hope

In March of last year, Ukrainian soldier Yevhenii Korinets was gravely wounded in intense fighting near Bakhmut. At that moment, he thought his life was over. «I was 25, hadn’t seen the world, and now I was dying,» Korinets shared from Reshetylivka.

Seventeen months later, Korinets’ life has taken a remarkable turn. Despite losing his left leg at the hip, the former military paramedic is now a member of Ukraine’s national sitting volleyball team. He spoke during a training break ahead of the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, which opened on Wednesday.

«Now, I’ve traveled everywhere – the United States, China, and across Europe,» Korinets said to Reuters during a break in drills in central Ukraine. He is among 140 Ukrainian athletes competing in this year’s Paralympic Games. The competition holds special significance following Russia’s full-scale invasion, which has left many soldiers and civilians with life-changing injuries.

For Korinets, sports have been vital in his recovery, and he urges other veterans to engage in physical activity. Rehabilitation into society remains a significant challenge for authorities, two and a half years into a conflict marked by heavy artillery fire and dangerous battlefields.

«Sports must be popularized in towns and cities so that war veterans aren’t isolated,» he emphasized. «Friends should encourage each other to stay active and train together.»

Korinets, originally from Zhytomyr, enlisted on the day Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. He served as a paramedic in the 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade near Bakhmut, where some of the war’s fiercest battles took place.

Ukraine’s recent Paralympic performances have outshined its Olympic achievements, ranking sixth in Tokyo in 2021 and third in Brazil in 2016. As Korinets prepared to leave for Paris, his focus was clear: «Victory. We don’t need anything else.»

Photo by Jedrzej Nowicki for LE MONDE