Yevhenii and Anna

Before the war, Yevhenii worked in forest sanitation and played guitar in a rock band. In 2022, he joined Ukraine’s Armed Forces and served as a grenadier in the 81st Separate Airmobile Brigade.

In March 2023, during an assault operation, he stepped on a mine while evacuating a wounded brother-in-arms. He lost both of his legs on the spot.

After the injury, staying active became essential for both his physical and mental recovery. Training and rehabilitation helped him regain strength and keep moving forward through one of the hardest periods of his life.

Through the Hug for Heroes pilot program in Ukraine, Yevhenii met Anna. She worked there as a trainer and instructor, and they met during one of the rafting activities shortly after his injury. Their relationship became part of the journey of recovery itself — built through support, movement, and learning how to move forward together.

In time, Yevhenii returned to service. He went back to his brigade, then transferred to a training and instructor role in another unit. Today, he lives in Lviv and works in a restaurant. His greatest dream is to learn to run and jump on prosthetics, and to return to service in his original brigade.