Ukrainian veteran with prosthetic arm assembles FPV drones at home

A Ukrainian soldier who lost his arm after suffering a severe injury on the front line assembles FPV drones in his kitchen, helping the Armed Forces. 

According to Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, who shared this veteran's story, before the full-scale war, Mykola worked as an electrician and repaired switches and lamps in his free time, Rubryka reports.

On February 24, 2022, when Russian started its full-fledged invasion, Mykola's life, like that of all Ukrainians, changed, and he was mobilized into the 79th Airborne Assault Brigade.

The fighter served on the Donetsk front, initially adjusting artillery and then becoming a fire adjuster.

In 2023, he suffered a severe injury. At that moment, he lay for five hours, awaiting evacuation. Unfortunately, medics couldn't save his right arm.

Mykola was fitted with a smart Ukrainian-made bionic prosthesis called Esper Hand during treatment in the US. Such a prosthesis learns and improves control over time.

Afterward, Mykola returned to his hobby — soldering. However, he's not working on switches anymore, but FPV drones. With his prosthetic arm, he assembles drones from scratch right in his kitchen, which destroy Russian equipment and save the lives of Ukrainian defenders.

"So 'drones in the kitchen' have already become our new DNA element, forming a new technological culture of the nation. It's crucial for everyone to do their best in their place, supporting the Armed Forces because even one soldering iron helps keep the ranks," said Fedorov.

In related news, Ukrainian soldier Serhii Shykun, who lost his arm and received a bionic prosthesis at the National Rehabilitation Center "Unbroken," wants to return to the front to continue defending his country.

A 28-year-old volunteer from Chernivtsi, Violetta Oliinyk, has started assembling drones independently at her home, which she then passes on to soldiers on the front, including her father and brother, who defend their homeland.