The inspiring 21-year-old Ukrainian defender, Ruslana Danilkina, who courageously served on the frontline and lost her leg in a combat mission, is visiting Australia this week for Ukraine’s Independence Day 2024.
At just 18, Ruslana volunteered to join the Territorial Defence Force of Ukraine following the full-scale Russian invasion, embodying the bravery and determination of young Ukrainians. Today, Ruslana is a veteran, amputee and social media influencer, bringing her expertise to the Superhumans Centre, a modern rehabilitation centre for adults and children in Ukraine.
Ruslana’s journey from an ordinary teenager in Odesa, Ukraine, to a globally recognised Ukrainian activist for people with disabilities and a symbol of Ukrainian resilience and courage, is awe-inspiring. Approximately 50,000 Ukrainian patients will require prosthetics by the end of 2024, due to injuries sustained on the battlefield or on the street.
Ruslana has said she wants to “show all people that this is not scary, that this is our new reality and soon we will become the most ‘iron nation’ in the world”.
Her message of hope and altruism will touch the hearts of everyday Australians and put a human face on the horrific cost of Putin’s war.
Ruslana is in Australia between Wednesday 21 August to Monday 26 August 2024 at the invitation of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO) and Future Ukraine, the AFUO’s DGR-registered charity which contributes to rehabilitation and reconstruction projects in Ukraine. She will attend Ukrainian community Independence Day events in Melbourne and Sydney as part of a fund-raising campaign for Future Ukraine and the Superhumans Centre.
Instagram: Rusya_Danilkina “Unbroken Rusya” – https://www.instagram.com/rusya_danilkina
Background
A waitress prior to the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, Ruslana was studying to be a tattoo artist. But Russia’s invasion and attack on her hometown of Odesa left her determined to defend her country.
At the age of 18, Ruslana volunteered to join the Territorial Defence Forces of Ukraine (a division of the Ukrainian Armed Forces). Initially stationed in Zaporizhia in an administrative role, she made several requests to be transferred closer to the frontline, which were refused due to her age. Eventually she was assigned to a communications unit as a radio operator on the frontline in Kherson in early 2023. It was during one of these missions that Ruslana’s vehicle came under heavy fire, with a cluster munition destroying her car and left leg.
Ruslana has described the fear, shock, and pain she suffered after her life-changing injury. She has said “I just wanted to dissolve into space and disappear”.
Following several harrowing operations, Ruslana came to the new, state-of-the-art rehabilitation Superhumans Centre in Lviv, Ukraine, for treatment. The centre was built to enable Ukrainian amputees to have the best possible, world-class treatment services in Ukraine, rather than travel to Germany for treatment. At the Superhumans Centre, Ruslana was fitted with a high-quality, custom made prosthetic, and within days was able to take her first steps.
Today, Ruslana is helping other people – military and civilians – who have lost their limbs because of the war, as a first contact specialist at the Superhumans Centre. According to official data, approximately 50,000 Ukrainian patients will require prosthetics by the end of 2024. Ruslana has said she wants to help “show all people that this is not scary, that this is our new reality and soon we will become the “most iron” nation in the world”. She urges those who have lost limbs “not to hide, not to sit at home, but, on the contrary, to receive prosthetics and return to normal life. And those who meet people with amputations to not run away from them, to not take their children, but to react calmly to people with prostheses”.
Organisers
Ruslana is in Australia at the invitation of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO) and the AFUO’s Future Ukraine, a DGR-registered charity which has raised over $5.5 million to date and contributes to targeted projects in the fields of rehabilitation, medical evacuation, reconstruction, education, leadership and public information.
The AFUO represents the interests of the Ukrainian community in Australia and is the peak body for 22 national community organisations across the country, with interests across culture, business, youth, religion and women’s issues.
