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Ukrainian Soldiers With Prosthetic Limbs Make History on Mount Kilimanjaro

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Ukrainian Soldiers With Prosthetic Limbs Make History on Mount Kilimanjaro
Ukrainian soldiers Roman, Olha, Mykhailo, Vladyslav, and Oleksandr, who have undergone amputations and severe injuries, climbed to 5,895 meters, reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. (Source: Second Wind)

A group of Ukrainian soldiers with prosthetic limbs and a wounded veteran have made history by reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, as part of the Second Wind project.

During the expedition, the climbers documented their journey, and a documentary film about their ascent is set to be released in the fall of 2025.

Roman, Olha, Mykhailo, Vladyslav, and Oleksandr at an altitude of 2,400 meters in the Ngorongoro National Park, located 200 km from Mount Kilimanjaro. (Source: Second Wind)
Roman, Olha, Mykhailo, Vladyslav, and Oleksandr at an altitude of 2,400 meters in the Ngorongoro National Park, located 200 km from Mount Kilimanjaro. (Source: Second Wind)

The group consisted of four men who lost their lower limbs and one woman who sustained severe injuries. Despite their wounds, most of them continue to serve in the military, while others are engaged in public activism. The climbers—Roman, Olha, Mykhailo, Vladyslav, and Oleksandr—embarked on this challenging expedition to inspire others facing similar hardships.

Ukrainian soldiers who have undergone amputations and severe injuries—climbed to 5,895 meters, reaching the summit of Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro. (Source: Second Wind)
Ukrainian soldiers who have undergone amputations and severe injuries—climbed to 5,895 meters, reaching the summit of Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro. (Source: Second Wind)

“This ascent became historic: no Ukrainian soldier with a lower-limb prosthesis had ever reached the summit of Africa before. Moreover, there are no recorded cases worldwide of four military personnel with prosthetic legs, along with a wounded female soldier, completing such a group ascent,” they wrote on the official page.

A fragment from the video of Ukrainian soldiers reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. (Source: Second Wind)
A fragment from the video of Ukrainian soldiers reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. (Source: Second Wind)

At the summit, the veterans raised a six-meter-long Ukrainian flag as a symbol of the nation’s resilience. To show their support, climbers from different countries, who were also at the peak at that moment, helped the Ukrainian team unfurl the flag.

A fragment from the video of Ukrainian soldiers and climbers on the summit of Africa, where they together unfurled the Ukrainian flag as a symbol of support and admiration for the resilience of Ukrainian warriors. (Source: Second Wind)
A fragment from the video of Ukrainian soldiers and climbers on the summit of Africa, where they together unfurled the Ukrainian flag as a symbol of support and admiration for the resilience of Ukrainian warriors. (Source: Second Wind)

“And this is not for records, but for those who are now fighting through injuries and doubts, unsure if they can live a full life again,” the team stated.

Previously, a team from Kyiv, Ukraine claimed a victory at the NASA Space Apps Challenge, standing out among more than 10,000 teams (90,000 participants) from across the globe.

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