DNIPRO, Ukraine — The horrors of war make their way to a hospital in eastern Ukraine during the night, with injured soldiers arriving on stretchers. These soldiers have bandaged limbs soaked in blood, faces covered in shrapnel fragments, and eyes filled with shock. The number of wounded soldiers has been increasing recently.
The Mechnikov Hospital, one of Ukraine’s largest, receives these injured soldiers in the late afternoon, and dozens more in need of surgery arrive before sunrise. This surge in patients coincides with Ukraine’s major counteroffensive to recapture their land from Russian control. The surgeons at Mechnikov are now busier than ever before, performing 50 to 100 surgeries per night.
Dr. Serhii Ryzhenko, the chief doctor at the hospital, admits that they are overwhelmed and their 50 operating rooms are not enough to handle the influx of patients. The hospital serves as a reflection of the ongoing battles, with the workload increasing as the intensity of the fighting rises.
The Associated Press was granted rare access to the hospital to witness the efforts of doctors and nurses as they care for the wounded soldiers. The hospital operates as a regular healthcare facility during the day, but at night, it becomes a place of chaos and urgency as the wounded arrive and surgeries are performed.
Ukrainian soldiers are fighting on multiple fronts along the 1,500-kilometer front line, but progress has been slow. The Russian army is deeply entrenched, and minefields need to be cleared for Ukrainian soldiers to advance. Despite Western donations of military hardware, territorial gains have been minimal.
Meanwhile, Russia has increased operations in northern Ukraine, possibly attempting to corner Ukrainian troops there. Ukrainian soldiers facing the front line express surprise at the ferocity of Moscow’s artillery barrages, particularly in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.
At Mechnikov Hospital, doctors face a constant influx of soldiers with shrapnel injuries. Bullet wounds are less common. Wounded soldiers are initially treated closer to the front line and then transferred to Mechnikov once stable. The hospital staff work tirelessly to treat the injured soldiers, knowing that every minute counts in saving lives and limbs.
The hospital, which has been around for more than 200 years, has been transformed by the war. Before the invasion in 2014, it was unprepared for treating wounded soldiers. Today, it is praised for its state-of-the-art facilities and expertise.
Amid the chaos, doctors like Dr. Mykyta Lombrozov perform intricate surgeries on soldiers with shrapnel lodged in their brains. These surgeries, which would typically take hours, are now carried out in under an hour due to the demands of the war. The staff at Mechnikov Hospital is dedicated to saving lives and considers every soldier they treat a hero.