Ruslan Giliazov: “I became Iron Man for my son”

"My friends opened a coffee shop, and I helped them out. You could say I worked there right up until February 24, 2022," Giliazov recalls. "I was also focused on raising my son."

Russia's full-scale invasion took Giliazov by surprise. On the morning of February 24, his brother from Odesa called to tell him the war had started.

"I said, 'How could it start? There's no sign of anything here.' We didn't hear any rockets in the city. But my brother told me to turn on the TV and check Telegram channels. Once I saw what was happening, I went to our city council the same day to help form a volunteer group," Giliazov explains.

He was a volunteer soldier for nearly a year. Initially, he wasn't accepted into the Armed Forces of Ukraine because he had no prior military service or experience. However, a year later, Giliazov applied again for mobilization.

"All my friends had been on the front lines for a while, so I reapplied at the military commissariat. This time, they offered me a contract. I immediately agreed, signed it, went through training, and joined the 5th Separate Assault Brigade in Kyiv as a sniper," Giliazov shares.

"We were hit by both Grads and tanks"

Giliazov served on the front lines for about three months, commanding an assault group. During his third mission, he was injured.

"The first mission involved defending positions and relieving the guys who were there before us. The third time was an assault on the village of Klishchiivka in the Donetsk region. During the assault, an enemy drone spotted our group, and a tank took aim at us," Giliazov recalls.

A tank round hit Giliazov, injuring his arm and leg. Using his last bit of strength, he made it to a trench and jumped in.

"The guys helped me put a tourniquet on my leg. They also moved me to another spot, where I climbed into a small depression in the trench wall that protects against shrapnel. The more mobile wounded were evacuated first, but another badly injured comrade and I had to wait. I lay there for 12 hours, while we were shelled by both Grads and tanks, until the enemy finally retreated," Giliazov recounts.

His evacuation was complex and happened in stages. His comrades carried him through a minefield to the evacuation point. There, medics provided first aid, including a blood transfusion, as he had lost a lot of blood. He was then transported in armored vehicles—first to Chasiv Yar, then to Druzhkivka, and eventually to Mechnikov Hospital in Dnipro.

"In Dnipro, I had surgery to amputate both my arm and leg. Because the tourniquets had been on for so long, my kidneys failed, and I needed hemodialysis for almost 20 days. After that, I was transferred to the main military hospital in Kyiv for my final surgeries, and a month later, I was in Lviv for rehabilitation at the Halychyna center," Giliazov recalls.

"It's like switching from an old car to a Mercedes"

introduced to a prosthetics center and received his first mechanical prosthesis. However, Giliazov wanted an electronic one for greater mobility and functionality. He later discovered the prosthetics program offered by the Estonian government in partnership with the BGV Charitable Foundation.

In the fall of 2023, Giliazov joined the program, and by May of this year, he was fitted with a Genium X3 prosthetic leg. He describes the experience of using it:

"It's like switching from an old car to a Mercedes. When I first put it on, I was already running on it within half an hour—literally running. I even have a video," Giliazov says with enthusiasm.

He explains that the Genium X3 allows for various modes to be configured via a phone app, with functionalities tailored to different activities:

"You can set it for running, football, basketball, normal walking, or playing table tennis. The 'leg lock' feature is incredibly useful; it locks the leg in place for support when standing for long periods. It's even waterproof, so you can swim with it in the pool or river. The prosthesis helps me climb stairs just like a regular leg," Giliazov lists.

The veteran adds:

"I take my son to kindergarten every morning and then go about my day, never removing the prosthesis. It's much easier to walk on it than on a mechanical one—I even played football with my child."

Currently, Giliazov is busy with the paperwork for his discharge from military service, as he remains an active serviceman. However, he already has plans for the future.

"In our city, there are no 24-hour service stations or tire repair shops, so I'm considering opening my own car service. I also have an idea for a place with Georgian cuisine or a military-themed pizzeria. A fellow veteran who visited our rehabilitation center and runs a pizzeria chain in Ukraine inspired me with his story," Giliazov reflects.

The veteran also hopes to complete his studies, raise his son, and find a high-quality prosthesis for his arm. As he puts it, he wants to "not feel inferior and do the things he loves without issues."

"I had a mechanical arm prosthesis made, but due to my high amputation, it's uncomfortable to use. I need a bionic prosthesis that works from muscle contractions, allowing the fingers to move and the hand to open and close. I could go to America for this, but I need to secure funding to cover the costs of the prosthesis," the soldier explains.

But Giliazov remains determined, thanks to the immense support from his family, especially his son, who eagerly anticipated the electronic prosthesis as much as his father did.

"Even with my injuries, life goes on. My wife has been by my side constantly, and we prepared our son so he wouldn't be too frightened when he saw me in the hospital. We told him that dad gave his arm and leg to have them made like Iron Man. He's fascinated by all things technical and is a very tech-savvy boy."

Once Giliazov was home, his son asked him to visit his kindergarten to introduce his friends to his superhero dad.

"When he saw the prosthetic leg, he was thrilled and said, 'Dad, can you come to the kindergarten and pick me up? I want to show the kids that my dad has a leg like Iron Man.' When I went to pick him up, he gathered all his friends to come over, look at, and touch my leg," Giliazov laughs.