On April 8, 2022, Russian forces shelled the railway station in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, where around 4,000 civilians were awaiting evacuation. The sudden missile strike killed 61 people and injured 121 others.

Among the injured was 12-year-old Yana Stepanenko, along with her mother and twin brother. The Russian missile took both of the girl’s legs and one of her mother’s. She underwent treatment in the United States and later continued rehabilitation at the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center in Lviv, Ukraine, where she received new prosthetics for an active life.

Almost exactly two years later, Yana ran five kilometers on prosthetic legs at the 2024 Boston Marathon to raise funds for a prosthetic limb for a wounded soldier. In 2025, she completed the same distance at the Tokyo Marathon. Her story inspires other patients and the entire UNBROKEN team, proving that even after the most severe trials, it is possible to return to life and become a symbol of resilience.

Since the beginning of the full-scale Russo-Ukrainian War, more than 25,000 wounded Ukrainians have received care through UNBROKEN, the country’s largest medical and rehabilitation facility for war-wounded adults and children.

Getting Started

Since February 24, 2022, the day Russia invaded Ukraine, Lviv has taken on a new role. The city in western Ukraine long associated with culture, its UNESCO status, tourism, and education became a refuge for hundreds of thousands fleeing the war. Here, a response began to take shape to one of modern Europe’s greatest challenges: how to provide dignified medical treatment, comprehensive rehabilitation, and a return to active life for wounded soldiers and civilians.

Despite shelling, power outages, and limited financial resources, Lviv did not stop. On the contrary, the city became one of the most progressive in the field of medicine since Ukraine’s independence. Thanks to the joint efforts of the community, businesses, and international partners, a system began to emerge with people at its core. This led to the creation of the UNBROKEN ecosystem—a comprehensive approach to medicine, rehabilitation, prosthetics, mental health, and social reintegration.

An Ecosystem, Not a Hospital

UNBROKEN is not a single building or a standalone hospital. It is a true ecosystem of humanity that brings together more than 20 interconnected projects. In UNBROKEN, a person is supported throughout the entire journey, from the moment of injury to the return to maximum independence. Patients receive surgical treatment; prosthetics, including temporary prostheses; physical rehabilitation; psychological and psychotherapeutic support; mental health rehabilitation; accommodation during treatment; and support in returning to civilian life.

New facilities have been opened, including a mental health center and a center for assistance to people after captivity. Prosthetics capabilities have also been expanded with modern workshops and laboratories.

Community, Business, and International Partners United

UNBROKEN is a powerful example of true collaboration, where the community, businesses, volunteers, and international partners act as one. At the most difficult moment, everyone stood together to ensure that the country’s largest rehabilitation center could begin operating as quickly as possible and provide high-quality care to those who need it most.

The building itself was transformed from a Soviet-era clinic to a modern facility, filled not only with renovations, but with trust, responsibility, and solidarity. Each of the building’s seven stories was restored by a different city or organization:

• The 1st floor was restored by the city of Lviv.
• The 2nd floor by Lviv IT Cluster, a community of IT companies in Ukraine.
• The 3rd floor by the city of Warsaw, Poland.
• The 4th floor by Naftogaz, Ukraine’s largest state-owned oil and gas company.
• The 5th floor by the city of Vilnius, Lithuania.
• The 6th floor by the city of Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
• The 7th floor by the Red Cross Society.

Partners from dozens of cities and countries have contributed to building this system, including Gdańsk, Wrocław, Murnau am Staffelsee, Aarhus, and Würzburg. The UNBROKEN Cities Network has united cities such as Manchester and Liverpool in England for knowledge exchange and joint initiatives.

Challenges and Looking to the Future

Despite significant achievements, challenges remain. The demand for rehabilitation is growing every day, resources are limited, and the need to expand capacity is critical. Yet Lviv’s experience proves that even during wartime—when most funding is directed toward supporting the military and critical infrastructure—a city can become a driver of innovation in medicine, rehabilitation, and social policy.

Both during the war and after its end, when thousands of veterans return from the front line, the need for funding, partnerships, and systemic solutions will only increase. To ensure that every veteran and every civilian affected by the war receives high-quality rehabilitation and recovery services, a global response is required. That is why we appeal to cities, communities, businesses, and foundations in the United States.

UNBROKEN is an opportunity to contribute to building a model that is already working. It is an investment not only in buildings or equipment, but in human dignity, societal resilience, and post-war recovery. American partners can become part of a global ecosystem: joint veteran programs, exchange of medical expertise, professional training, and scaling successful solutions to other countries.

UNBROKEN is not only about treatment. It is a new model of a city where medicine, urban space, and international partnership work for people. Lviv’s experience serves as an example for municipalities worldwide: an integrated ecosystem, a clear mission, international cooperation, and strategic governance are the keys to sustainable and scalable success.

We invite you to join. To build together. To recover together. To restore lives—together.

Learn more at unbroken.org.ua.

MARTA RUDNYTSKA is director, secretariat department, Lviv City Council, Ukraine.