It is 9:00 am in Dnipro's central hospital and already there have been three amputations.Under the knife was a 27-year-old soldier, both legs shredded by a Russian drone.Hospital director Sergiy Ryzhenko and his team watched on in silence."I'll never get used to this," whispered one, slipping out of the observation room.Since Russia invaded in 2022, the hospital has become the main centre for both soldiers and civilians wounded across east and southern Ukraine.
The medics say dark humour helps them get through what they see on a daily basis © Genya SAVILOV / AFP
The flow of victims has been constant, but the type of injuries has changed.Bullet wounds have given way to drones, missiles and glide bombs -- far more devastating, Ryzhenko said."The body is torn into pieces, chunks of flesh are ripped out, bones are shattered -- everything happens in a way that makes saving them almost impossible."Every morning, he walks the corridors, overseeing anywhere from 50 to 100 operations.A door swung open, revealing a woman with a bloodied face and three soldiers."We'll tell your commander about your bravery," the doctor tells one, his face riddled with scars.The clock struck 10. Morning rounds over.'Head smashed'In the break room, the smell of antiseptic mingled with garlic and coffee as staff snacked on black bread and cherries. Some 83 percent of patients that arrive at the hospital are either unconscious or have had body parts ripped open or off.The medics say dark humour helps them get through what they see on a daily basis.
