Battered by casualties after three years of war, Ukraine’s military has been struggling to replenish its ranks. The dead can never return to the front. Nor will many of the near

Ukrainian soldiers who lost limbs in the three-year war against Russia are returning to the battlefield out of a sense of duty amid the grim outlook for their country.

"For a wounded soldier this restores their dignity, particularly if you are a strong male, an alpha type who is now in a wheelchair and a nappy. "It's important to feel what you do contributes towards helping others and it's important for their dignity to feel recognised, particularly when their picture gets purchased abroad," she says.

Many Ukrainian brigades have at least one, often several, amputee soldiers still on active duty, who chose to return to combat driven by the sense of responsibility amid the grim outlook for their country.

Many Ukrainian brigades have at least one, often several, amputee soldiers still on active duty, who chose to return to combat driven by the sense of responsibility amid the grim outlook for their country.