“Now the stairs, wonderful, Valentin,” says orthopedist Daniel Koch. He encourages his protégé. Valentin effortlessly goes up a few steps and then back down a ramp on the other side. This is part of the exercises with which Valentin Melnyk is supposed to get used to his new, precisely fitting lower leg prosthesis.
A metal tube with a plastic base, which is stuck in a black sports shoe, protrudes from the rolled-up trouser leg of Valentin's jeans. Otherwise it would be hard to tell at first glance that the young Ukrainian's right leg is artificial from the knee down.
Apart from a slight limp, I'm running very well. Daniel Koch is satisfied. For the orthopedic master, Valentin Melnyk is not only one of his patients, but also a trainee.
Helping others return to civilian life
The young Ukrainian is learning the profession of an orthopedic technician in Berlin. “I really like that there is the chance to learn this profession and later return to civilian life and help with everything that supports soldiers,” says the disabled veteran in Ukrainian.
It has been 15 months since he was seriously injured as a soldier in the Ukrainian army, says Melnyk. "I lost my leg when we were returning from a mission and hit a mine." He was in the hospital for a whole year. The 24-year-old then found out about the project, which offers war-disabled former Ukrainian soldiers the opportunity to train as orthopedic technicians. His application was successful and since May he has been learning together with seven other veterans in Daniel Koch's workshops, among others. The orthopedic master has been supporting Ukrainian soldiers who have lost one of their limbs since 2024.
Orthopedic companies work with NGOs
The training has a new quality for Koch; war-invalids like Valentin Melnyk are given a chance and can also help others who had to suffer a similar fate. “The training gives him the opportunity to start a new life, earn money, start a family and help other people,” says Koch.
He and other Berlin orthopedic companies work closely with the aid organization “Life Bridge Ukraine”. Janine von Wolfersdorff founded the non-profit company in 2022 and initially ensured that wounded Ukrainian soldiers who had lost a leg or an arm could be brought to Berlin, treated there and provided with prostheses. "I'm doing this to help these young people get back to an active life," says the NGO's managing director.
Prosthesis center in Kyiv and in Ternopil
After two years of effort and overcoming many bureaucratic hurdles, "Life Bridge Ukraine" has now managed to set up a prosthesis center in a municipal hospital in Kiev. It opened in August 2025 with the support of the State of Berlin, Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko and private donors. Berlin orthopedic companies like Daniel Koch's have already trained six trainees for a year for the Kiev facility.
The project that has now started, in which a total of ten orthopedics companies from Germany and Poland are involved, is a next step. The aim is to expand the prosthesis center in Kyiv. In addition, construction of another such facility has just begun in Ternopil in western Ukraine, also in a municipal hospital.
Many civilian and military casualties
“I can do it, we can do it and this also gives us a responsibility to do it,” says Janine von Wolfersdorff about the reasons for her actions. "We are helping these young people who have been so seriously injured while defending their freedom and their homeland. This is a matter close to my heart."
Official figures on how many Ukrainian civilian and military casualties there are who have lost limbs are not available. According to the Berlin Senate Chancellery, Kiev's mayor, Klitschko, spoke during a visit to the city of an estimated 21,000 amputations annually.
Valentin Melnyk wants to take advantage of his chance
After his walking exercises, Valentin Melnyk stands at a workbench with one of his trainers and fills liquid plastic into a mold that resembles a lower leg. This will one day be used to create a prosthesis. The young man with a beard and short-cropped blonde hair looks intently at his work. The young Ukrainian says in English that he feels good, that he is a healthy man.
Valentin Melnyk actually wanted to become a teacher and teach mathematics and physics, but the war interrupted his studies. He wants to take advantage of the opportunity that his training in the orthopedic workshop opens up for him. After his time in Berlin, the young Ukrainian plans to go back to Kiev. He wants to work in the prosthesis center and help other war-injured people get back on their feet.
