In the corner of a vast brick hall, models slipped silently and elegantly into linen dresses, as the chink of a metal prosthetic limb pierced the quiet. Ukrainian veteran Yaroslav Sharkiy, who lost his leg fighting at the front, was preparing to take to the catwalk at Kyiv Fashion Week.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. He is one of anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers to have lost a limb fighting to fend off the Russian invasion, according to non-governmental organisations. “I’ve got one leg in the Donbas, the other on the Fashion Week runway,” joked the former combat medic, barely in his thirties. “It’s a bit unusual but I’ve learnt to switch between these realities.” Far from the explosions, he now battles a touch of stage fright and teasing from his former comrades. On the catwalk, he sported the latest line of clothes created specifically by Ukrainian designer Igor Sidletskiy for people with prosthetic limbs. With four other veterans, he slid his metal leg into a wide pair of black shorts. Amputated below the knee, Sharkiy usually has to remove his trousers completely to adjust the device, which makes him feel “uneasy” in public. “I can see that people around me are sometimes uncomfortable too,” he told AFP. But Sidletskiy’s designs are loose and easy to put on. “It’s comfortable, while still being stylish,” Sharkiy said confidently. As the designer’s voice cut the silence -- “Be ready in 10 minutes” -- he tuned his collar up and added some black sunglasses.