Renovator: "I Have a Disability, But I Am Not Disabled"
The mornings are cold, but only briefly. With the sun warmth spreads across the grounds of the rehabilitation centre. Flowers surround the buildings, some carefully planted and others growing wild. Patients move along tree-lined paths. Some injuries are visible, others are not. Missing limbs, burn injuries and scars tell stories of bravery and war.
Photo: Madeleine Filander
The soldier sitting down for our interview at the rehabilitation site
This centre is part of Renovator, a NATO initiative that supports the rehabilitation of wounded service members through modernizing equipment, training and upgraded facilities. Sweden is one of the countries contributing expertise and support to the project.
I meet a Ukrainian soldier in a small office. We sit facing each other, with no desk between us. His English is excellent and most of his answers are calm and matter-of-fact. The day before, I watched him demonstrate his rehabilitation progress to a visiting Swedish physiotherapist working alongside Ukrainian colleagues.
From language editor to soldier
Before the war, he worked as a language editor for an anti-corruption news outlet. When Russia's full-scale invasion began, a friend serving in the military sent him a message: "Prepare yourself. The war has begun."
In January 2025, he joined the armed forces as a reconnaissance drone operator, using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to gather information about enemy forces and battlefield activity. But everything changed on 25 November that same year.
His injury occurred during a supply mission when an enemy drone located his position.
- We tried to hide, but the drone found us, he recalls.
The explosion severely damaged his shoulder and surrounding muscles, leaving him without a shoulder joint on his right side.
Rehabilitation for independence
He arrived at the rehabilitation centre in April 2026, following surgery and an initial period of physical recovery. By then, he could barely raise his arm. Even lifting a one-kilogram weight was a challenge. Today, after months of rehabilitation, he has regained significant strength and mobility.
The programme developed for him focused on using remaining muscle groups to compensate for those that were lost.
- The people here motivated me. They supported me, he says.
The centre's work reflects the wider goals of Renovator: helping wounded soldiers regain independence and rebuild their lives, whether that means returning to service or adapting to civilian life.
When asked what recovery has taught him, his answer is simple yet profound.
- I have a disability, but I am not disabled.
But he emphasises physical rehabilitation is only part of the challenge. The next step for him will be to work on his mind.
- Everyone who goes to war needs psychological support. It is as important as physical rehabilitation.
A message for Sweden
Before we finish, I ask what message he would like people in Sweden to hear.
First, he expresses his gratitude.
- We are very thankful to Sweden. For your support, for everything you give to us.
Then he pauses.
- I hope you never have to live through times like these. But I want you to be prepared. Not only with equipment or institutions, but in your minds
Outside, patients continue their walks beneath the trees. The soldier will soon return to training, focused on becoming a little stronger than he was yesterday.
His recovery is not over. And neither is his determination.
Renovator facts
Renovator is a NATO project launched in 2023. The project focuses on educating, modernising and equipping rehabilitation centres in Ukraine. These centres provide both physical and psychological rehabilitation for injured soldiers. The objective is to enable soldiers to return to service following their recovery.
Renovator is led by five countries, each responsible for one site as a "lead nation": the United Kingdom, Norway, Lithuania, Sweden and Latvia. Sweden joined the project in 2025.