‘The dying’: Inside a fortified hospital full of wounded soldiers preparing for a Russian attack | World News
The corridors are dimly lit and the windows are covered with sandbags, all adding to the feel of a wartime military hospital.
We were allowed into a military hospital with the promise that we would not reveal its location, except to say that it was in eastern Ukraine, back from the front lines.
They worry that it could be targeted by Russian air strikes, and for good reason – other hospitals have been hit. It is heavily fortified.
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Blurry, chipped murals in cartoon jars with scenes of wounded people limping around the wards.
There was a strong chlorine smell coming from one room and a groan from another.
The ICU is very busy now, they have put the bed in the hallway. These patients all suffered terrible burns, caused by the explosions.
They were covered with a yellow layer of antiseptic iodine to keep the wound from getting infected – and most of them just lay still, didn’t talk, didn’t move, but took heavy sedation to relieve the pain.
Behind the door, wounded soldiers lay in beds, happy to have survived, and happy to share their stories.
“It was not fighting, it was shelling. We were in a defensive position and we were being shelled, and we were hit,” said Oleksandr, a soldier who was wounded a few weeks ago. bullets,” said Oleksandr, a soldier who was wounded a few weeks ago Donbass.
Oleksandr wounded by shelling in Avdiivka, Donetsk region
“There was an explosion. I lifted my arm and it was just hanging. Something hit my arm. I don’t know what happened. Then I lifted my arm and it was hanging. suspended.
He showed me, his right hand now hanging loosely on a metal frame drilled into bone for support.
“The boys know what they’re fighting for. They know what’s at stake. The spirit… we’re fighting for our land and our country so we have the spirit. Unbreakable. If young men and old men come back from abroad to fight for Ukraine, the spirit is invincible.”
The number of soldiers killed and wounded every day was enormous – too large to sustain. They are operating with soldiers here around the clock, and many employees have left their jobs, traumatized by what they have seen.
Surgeons are working around the clock
“Now all the beds are busy,” said one senior surgeon. All beds and one more floor than usual time. In the regular regime, such as before the war, we had a center with 40 beds. We just had twice as many beds. “
Trying to establish an exact number of casualties is almost impossible, but President Zelenskyy recently revealed that every day between 60 and 100 Ukrainian soldiers are killed and about 500 are injured. The real number could also be much higher.
“People are dying. It’s very upsetting,” said Bohdan, who was injured in Luhansk. “The wounds are also uncomfortable – it’s very often caused by shrapnel.
Bohdan, one of dozens of soldiers wounded at the hospital, was hit by shrapnel in Luhansk
“Our boys will never give up, no matter how long it takes because we are in our house. We are fighting for our land, for our home. So we have morale.
“It’s annoying because this isn’t a normal fight but shells. That’s why there are so many shrapnel wounds. It’s annoying being in that situation because it’s an empty battle. weight. It’s hard to bear.”
However, every soldier we spoke to said they would come back and fight when they recovered. If they recover.
Because when you’re fighting to protect your country, your own people – the risk is worth it.
