Ukraine Rallies to Heal the Wounds of War: A Report from Le Figaro’s Special Correspondent
By Ostrog Agopyan
Published January 2, 2023, 7:33 PM – Updated 8:26 PM
Special Correspondent in Kyiv
At the ANACOSMA clinic in Kyiv, the clientele used to be those chasing perfection: breast augmentations, nose jobs, facelifts. Smiling women with striking bodies beam from framed portraits on the walls — aspirational figures for visitors hoping to emulate them.
But recently, the patients coming through these doors are different. Civilians and soldiers disfigured by Russian attacks now arrive seeking to reclaim their faces and bodies. Like many Ukrainian institutions, the clinic has had to install generators to cope with power outages.
“We start with life-saving surgeries. But once a person survives, looking in the mirror and seeing a monster has a profound psychological impact. It’s essential to restore not just form but humanity,” explains Dr. Pavlo Denyshchuk, the clinic’s lead plastic surgeon.
Denyshchuk is one of 40 surgeons affiliated with No Scar, an organization providing reconstructive surgery and laser therapy to victims of the war. Founded in March 2022 by medical marketing specialist Yuliia Demtsova, the initiative has received over 300 patient requests and performed 40 operations to date.
“These procedures cost thousands of euros and aren’t covered by insurance — they’re not considered ‘life-saving,’” says Demtsova. “But watching the news and seeing the faces of the wounded, I knew something had to be done to help them heal.”
One such survivor is Dmytro Sukhodolskiy, a 37-year-old software engineer and Ukrainian army commander who re-enlisted at the start of the full-scale invasion. After a decorated stint defending Kyiv — including downing four missiles — he was deployed to the Kharkiv region in early May for a counteroffensive.
“We were moving fast, reclaiming land,” Dmytro recalls. “But our mistake was not securing the territory quickly enough.”
On May 11 in Pitomnyk, he and three fellow soldiers were ambushed by a Russian sabotage unit just ten meters away. “They opened fire. Our driver was killed. I don’t remember everything. I woke up in a burning vehicle. Tried to call my wife — no signal. I remember the heat, the blood, the tourniquet. Then the hospital.”
Seventeen bullets tore through his body without striking a single vital organ. Dmytro lost vision in his left eye, and his skin bears almost no smooth patches. Walking is painful; each step, supported by his loyal dog Snikers, is a small triumph.
“People stare at my scars. A boy recently asked me what happened to my eye. I feel exposed,” he admits. With help from Dr. Denyshchuk and No Scar, he underwent surgery on his face and neck. Red keloids remain, and he faces months of follow-up procedures.
“I cover most of the scarring with clothes,” he says. “I don’t want to retell the story. I’m dreading the summer — my legs are scarred too. I might get a tattoo. I never wanted one before, but now I think it’s a good way to reclaim my body.”
While gunshot injuries are mostly confined to the frontlines, civilians too are caught in the crossfire of missile and drone attacks. One such victim is Kateryna Kuchynska, a 31-year-old banker turned volunteer with the NGO Fortuna.
On March 2, while distributing food at a checkpoint in her hometown of Korosten, a Russian drone dropped an explosive. Two people were killed. Kateryna was among five injured.
“My body was torn, my face covered in blood. Soldiers thought I was dead. Then I moved — I felt no pain. I was in shock,” she recalls.
Shrapnel pierced her body and lungs. Emergency surgery saved her life. But today, Kateryna struggles with the mirror — her scars are constant reminders of that harrowing day. After another operation this June, she will undergo months of laser treatments to lessen the trauma’s physical marks.
“Yes, the sirens, the blackouts, the explosions — they constantly remind me the war isn’t over,” she says. “But knowing I might no longer carry visible reminders of Russia’s invasion gives me hope.”
No Scar founder Yuliia Demtsova is already planning the next phase: working with gynecologists to offer support to survivors of rape and sexual violence. For many, healing the visible wounds is only the beginning.
Le Figaro.fr: — https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/en-ukraine-la-mobilisation-pour-reparer-les-gueules-cassees-de-la-guerre-20230102