Hurt but unbroken: veterans enter the ring
Despite amputations and severe wounds, they prove that injury doesn't stand in the way of reaching your goals. Fourteen veterans from across Ukraine entered the ring at the All-Ukrainian Boxing Tournament and delivered spectacular fights. Frontliner witnessed these bouts live and reports on how sport helps fighters regain control over their bodies and rediscover their strength.
“The main thing is that my leg doesn’t fall off mid-fight!” – says Dmytro Tereshchenko in the locker room of the sports complex. Like the other fighters, he is preparing for his bouts at the All-Ukrainian Veterans’ Boxing Tournament. Each fighter has one or more amputations, meaning there is a real possibility of a prosthetic arm or leg coming off during the fight.
As others practice their punches, wrap their hands in boxing tape, and gear up for victory, a pair of fighters enters the ring to a standing ovation. First is Pavlo Kushnirov, wounded in May 2023 on the Bakhmut front, resulting in the loss of both legs. His opponent, Serhii Kharchenko, was also injured in Donetsk region and had both legs amputated. Two wheelchairs await them in the ring – they will box while seated.
The goal is stronger than the injury
Once the fighters are settled into their wheelchairs, the gong sounds, and the match is on. Blow after blow, the fighters try to land hits on each other.
I can’t imagine anyone tougher than the Ukrainian Armed Forces,
or tougher than us, the Ukrainian veterans!
Serhii is visibly having a harder time in the fight. Then, suddenly, he catches his breath and says, “Alright, that’s enough, come here!” Using his bone-anchored prosthetics, he pulls himself toward Pavlo’s wheelchair, turning the bout into a clinch. The crowd rises to its feet, applause and cheers rolling through the hall. In this fight, the score and judges’ notes take a back seat. What matters most is the moment itself, when sport gives the fighters back a sense of control over their bodies and the circumstances. After three rounds, the referee announces a combat draw based on the judges’ decision.
“That was incredible! Thanks to my opponent, and thanks to everyone here today. I can’t imagine anyone tougher than the Ukrainian Armed Forces, or tougher than us, the Ukrainian veterans!” – exclaims Russian-Ukrainian war veteran Pavlo Kushnirov after the bout.
“I strive not to exist, but to live fully”
Throughout the tournament, veterans with various injuries take the ring. Now it’s the turn of Hennadii Boiko and Ruslan Yeriomenko. Both have a hand amputation: Hennadii puts a glove on only his left hand, while Ruslan wears one on his right. Hennadii Boiko comes from Obukhiv. A former medalist at the Ukrainian and European Kickboxing Championships, Hennadii was injured near Bakhmut in February 2023. Following treatment and rehabilitation, he returned to the ring.
This boxing evening was probably organized to show
the unbreakable spirit of Ukrainian veterans,
“I lost my arm, sadly, but I was lucky to survive. Now I strive not to exist, but to live fully. I think this boxing evening was probably organized to show the unbreakable spirit of Ukrainian veterans, at least, that’s how I feel. I dream of completing my rehabilitation and proving to myself that I am capable of anything,” says Russian-Ukrainian war veteran Hennadii Boiko.
His opponent, Ruslan Yeriomenko from Dnipro, lost his left arm during a combat mission in the summer of 2024. Despite this, he chose to continue serving in the military and went on to win an 82.4 km ultramarathon in Washington, D.C.
Nothing is impossible. We’re here to prove to ourselves what we’re capable of, and taking the ring shows not just our strength, but the strength of rehabilitation,
Hennadii and Ruslan’s fight is all about strategy: every move, every punch reflects not only strength but experience. The audience watches closely, and each successful series, each precise combination, draws waves of applause. In the end, the judges award a unanimous victory to Ruslan Yeriomenko.
Fight for the Ukrainian Championship title
The match between Oleksandr Mamontov and Serhii Herasymenko marks the culmination of the tournament. The fighters step into the ring to compete for the Ukrainian Veterans’ Championship belt, each carrying the experience of a professional boxing career interrupted by military service.
Before his military service, Oleksandr Mamontov trained in Thai-style boxing and hand-to-hand combat. In November 2024, he was injured when he stepped on a landmine. After having his right leg amputated and undergoing eight surgeries, he returned to an active life thanks to boxing and sheer determination.
His opponent is Serhii Herasymenko, a professional boxer defending the Ukrainian veterans’ boxing title. Injured on the Luhansk front in July 2024, he underwent a lower-limb amputation. Injured on the Luhansk front in July 2024, he underwent a lower-limb amputation. After 25 surgeries and intensive rehabilitation, he returned to the sport where he felt most at ease.
Strong punches and precise combinations define the first round, with Serhii clearly confident and controlling the pace. In the second round, his opponent starts to take over, and Serhii shows signs of fatigue – his energy waning and the fight teetering on the edge of defeat. Suddenly, he slips and asks the referee for a break to adjust his prosthetic. His opponent doesn’t object. Meanwhile, the coaches in both corners shout guidance: “Keep your distance, counterattack! Just a bit more!”
They’ve proven that they are capable.
The final third round begins. Serhii regains the initiative, countering attacks and pushing his opponent back. Yet it’s Oleksandr who lands the final clean combination of punches. When the bell rings, the referee steps to the center and declares Serhii Herasymenko the winner by split decision. This time, he successfully defends his belt and remains the Ukrainian veterans’ boxing champion.
“I dedicate this victory to every defender of Ukraine and every veteran. I believe that everyone who entered the ring today is a winner. These are people who first and foremost have conquered themselves, their fears. They’ve proven that they are capable. Compared to two or three years ago, when people looked at those with prosthetics differently, today there is far less judgment and far more support. Events like this show everyone – even those who don’t want to focus on the war – the true value of our struggle,” says Russian-Ukrainian war veteran and reigning Ukrainian veterans’ boxing champion Serhii Herasymenko.
The fights in the ring are over, but for many of the veterans who delivered spectacular performances, this is only the start of a new journey toward self-acceptance. For them, the boxing tournament is about more than matches – it’s an opportunity to be among like-minded peers, to feel support, to push their own limits, and to prove to themselves that the strength of the human spirit can overcome any injury.
Author: Artem Derkachov
Adapted: Irena Zaburanna
Read more — Float like a butterfly, even with a prosthetic: veterans in the ring push beyond their limits
