Oleksandr Bezverkhnyi: A Soldier's Journey from Amputation to Hope

He has undergone more than 100 surgeries and has two legs amputated. Doctors call the case of Oleksandr Bezverkhnyi, a soldier from Kherson region, a "surgical victory". After all, with his injuries and complications after them, the chance of survival was no more than 5%. Oleksandr himself says that he is a lucky man, and that he chose the call sign "Lucky" for a reason. The support and faith of his family also helped him get out of the abyss of death. His wife Yulia literally settled in the hospital next to her husband, and his little daughter Nicole tells everyone about her hero father.

He dreamed of liberating the house

The morning of February 24, 2022, found the Bezverkhnykh family on different banks of the Kherson region: Yulia and her then 2-year-old daughter Nicole were at home in the village, and Oleksandr was at work in the city. In addition to running his own farm, the man also worked as an electric welder at the Kherson Shipyard. To get to his family, Oleksandr drove across the Antonivskyi Bridge, actually to meet columns of Russian army military equipment.

"I was lucky because I did not see any Russian soldiers on my way. Instead, there were many cars with people leaving. Actually, we had the same plan, but we didn't have time. I got home at 10 in the morning, and in a few hours the village was occupied," Oleksandr recalls.

The Bezverkhnykh family. Photo provided by the interviewee

A few weeks later, Yulia and Nicole managed to evacuate to Ternopil. Oleksandr's escape from the occupation was more difficult because he had experience in military service. In late spring 2022, the family was able to reunite.

The man says that upon arrival he immediately went to the local military enlistment office. At first, he renewed his military card, then was registered for some time. Oleksandr joined the Armed Forces in the summer of 2023, underwent basic military training and professional training as an infantry fighting vehicle driver. He explains his decision succinctly: "I was tired of waiting and doing nothing. I wanted to liberate my home."

Saved more than one life

Oleksandr Bezverhnyi joined the 214th Separate Assault Battalion of the OPFOR and was a driver-mechanic at a medical center. They worked with the team in shifts, and the duty lasted several days. During the day, the man was engaged in routine maintenance of the vehicle, and at night he evacuated the wounded and, if possible, the dead from the ground in the Donetsk sector.

"I took guys with all possible injuries: mild, moderate, and severe. Not only bodily injuries. There were many cases of poisoning with unknown substances after the Russian military discharged some gases," says Oleksandr.

The man now knows the territory of the cities of Toretsk and Chasiv Yar in Bakhmut district by heart, because he had to drive mostly at night and at high speeds. He does not hide the fact that there were many dangerous situations during the evacuations. For example, a week before he was injured, one of the FPV drone shells hit the car's wheels and damaged the radiator and windshield. Then they managed to escape from the pursuit and all remained safe.

"It is very difficult to do this because of the shelling and drone attacks. I think evacuation teams are a priority for the Russian military. As soon as they see that there is a wounded Ukrainian, they start watching him from a drone, setting up an ambush. This way they try to inflict more losses. That's why it's almost impossible to move around during the day, but it doesn't get any safer at night either," the soldier says.

Oleksandr on duty. Photo provided by the source

In May 2024, Oleksandr Bezverhnyi received the Golden Cross award from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for his courage and successful performance of combat missions.

Now he celebrates his second birthday

January 22, 2023 is now Oleksandr Bezverhnyi's second birthday. The man remembers very little from that day: "It was around two or three in the morning. We were picking up a wounded man, carrying him on a stretcher because he could not move on his own, and on the way to the car we were covered. No one knows what it was, but we think it was a 120-mm artillery mine. Everyone survived, they had light and medium injuries. I was not so lucky, I got a serious injury."

Despite the unbearable pain, the soldier was conscious for some time. He contacted the command post and called for another evacuation team to help. Upon arrival, they were able to take everyone except Oleksandr. The blast wave threw him very far away and in the darkness, the search was unsuccessful. His comrades returned for him again in the morning and found him unconscious.

The soldier was in serious condition. His legs and internal organs were injured, and there was a large loss of blood. At the stabilization center, the doctors openly gave the man no chance, but continued to fight for his life. About seven liters of donor blood were transfused.

On January 23, Oleksandr Bezverkhnyi was taken to a military hospital in Dnipro. He met with his wife there, and the only thing he had the strength to do then was to ask about his daughter. He does not hide the fact that he does not remember this, nor does he remember the events of the next two months.

He underwent more than a hundred surgeries

Instead, Yulia Bezverhnya remembers this entire period almost minute by minute. She realized something had happened when her husband broke their tradition. Every day they would call or text each other around eleven in the morning.

"When Sasha didn't get in touch, I started calling his comrades and the command. In the late afternoon, I was informed about his injury and the plan to transport him to Dnipro. At the same time, I took the flowers and was there the next evening. At that time, he had already been operated on, the operation was serious and lasted almost six hours," the woman says.

Doctors tried to save Oleksandr's legs, but in the morning of January 24, the infection threshold was too high, and it was necessary to remove the source of the infection - his legs.

"I said do what is necessary. Just save me... Five days after the amputation of both legs above the knees, Sasha was in critical condition. As soon as his condition allowed, he was transported by helicopter to a medical facility in Kyiv. Here a new fight for life began. In total, he suffered five sepsis and more than 100 surgical interventions. According to doctors, this is one of the most difficult cases in Ukraine. "No one gave me any prognoses, they just said: "Pray, girl," Yulia recalls.

I had to learn everything all over again

Now Oleksandr is undergoing rehabilitation, one of the most difficult stages. He has to learn almost everything all over again, because he spent 11 months lying down, the last four of them only on his stomach or side, and he could not roll over on his back.

"He lost a lot of weight, he was just bones and skin. That's why at first he couldn't even raise his arm on his own... We have already been on a few walks in a wheelchair, before that we only went out on a wheelchair. It is hard, but we are gradually developing the joints and stretching the scars. Without this, prosthetics are impossible," says Yulia.

Oleksandr with rehabilitation therapist Oksana. Photo provided by the interviewee

The family has already found an organization that will help make prostheses for the soldier. The estimated cost of two prostheses is 2.5 million hryvnias.

By a joint decision, Yulia recently launched a fundraiser. The state will cover a significant percentage of the cost of prosthetics, but not all of it. It is also difficult to calculate how much money will be needed, because it will depend on many factors: the type of injury the soldier received, the quality of the knee joint for bending the prosthesis, the manufacturer and the range of services in Ukraine.

"We realize that we will not be able to raise the necessary funds on our own. Sashko's case is complicated and difficult, he has almost no muscles in his right buttock... You need good knees to walk, and even better ones to climb stairs. And in this case, we want the best, because Sashko's opportunities for further life depend on it," the woman explains.

Putting on prostheses to take daughter to school

The Bezverkhnykh family notes that they are grateful to everyone for their support: whether it is a donation, reposting of posts on social media or warm words addressed to them. However, the most valuable to Oleksandr's heart are the contributions of his 5-year-old daughter. Nicole puts away all the money she receives with the words: "This is for daddy's feet."

"She constantly sends me drawings and videos. I'm waiting for the medal. Nicole won an award at the reporting dance concert. Afterwards, she told her grandmother that she would give it to me. But it should be a surprise for me," the soldier laughs.

In turn, Yulia Bezverhnya adds: "Nicole has already visited my dad once. She was very careful with him. She came up, hugged him, touched his hand and moved away so as not to hurt him. Despite her young age, Nicole already perceives many things as an adult. When she saw a man wearing prostheses in Ternopil, she asked her grandmother: "Will my dad have legs like that too?" She understands that the country is at war and the people who stand up for it are heroes. So whenever she sees a man in uniform, she pulls his hand and says: "Look, here comes a hero."

Putting Oleksandr on prostheses is the family's biggest dream. The soldier admits that his first wish is to take his child to the first grade of school, and the second is to drive a car. None of the man's family, friends and comrades-in-arms have any doubts that he will succeed. Yulia says this: "I am sure he will be able to do even more! Because Sasha is very purposeful and stubborn in his life. If he sees a goal, he sees no obstacles. He also appreciates the work of every person, so he has no right to let down the doctors who have made a lot of efforts for his recovery. I should add that Sasha's psychologist informed him about the amputation of his legs. We were afraid of his reaction, but he calmly said: "So it was necessary". That is, he now accepts life as it is and knows who he lives for."

Oleksandr during rehabilitation. Photo provided by the interviewee

"Many guys think that amputation is the end of the story. But no! You can continue to live, you just need to adapt. There are many powerful examples where people have proven that prostheses are not the worst thing that can happen. That's why I feel that I'm not doing so badly. Yes, it was hard, but fortunately, everything is more or less getting better. I work and study. Not everything is easy and simple, but it will definitely get better," summarizes Oleksandr Bezverkhniy.

Ігор Льов

Яніна Надточа