Battered by casualties after three years of war, Ukraine’s military has been struggling to replenish its ranks. The dead can never return to the front. Nor will many of the near

After he lost his right arm in battle, Oleksandr Zhalinskyi transitioned from an infantry soldier to a navigator-driver and chose not to use a prosthetic. “It’s only good for fishing,” jokes the 34-year-old of a hobby he still enjoys. In his current role, he evaluates missions and finds the safest evacuation routes.

Many Ukrainian brigades have at least one, often several, amputee soldiers still on active duty, who chose to return to combat driven by the sense of responsibility amid the grim outlook for their country.