20-year-old Ukrainian veteran who lost all his limbs on his hopes for the future

Описание: (23 Feb 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kyiv , Ukraine - 20 February 2026
1. Wide of Ruslan Knysh whose arms and legs were amputated
2. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Ruslan Knysh, Ukrainian war veteran: ++SOUNDBITE STARTS ON PREVIOUS SHOT AND PARTIALLY SPLIT SCREEN WITH SHOT3 AND OVERLAID BY SHOT4-7++
"I remember we were already lying down. The blast threw me into the field. I was lying there — grass, weeds. Luckily, we had just passed a nearby position, and the men there heard the explosion right away. They looked out carefully and saw what had happened around us. Luka, our comrade, was already shouting, “We have wounded! We need help!” They pulled themselves together. As I said, they dropped to the level of their training. Tourniquets, first-aid kits — immediately."
3. Various STILL photos of Ukrainian veteran Ruslan Knysh during the war
4. Various of Knysh, whose arms and legs were amputated, sitting in wheelchair
5. Mid of the Azov emblem and oath and emblem of the third assault Brigade (Brigade was formed from Azov veterans)
6. Mid of Knysh
7. Close-up of Ruslan's wheelchair wheels

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kyiv , Ukraine - 21 February 2026
8. Wide of Independence square in Kyiv covered by snow
9. Close-up Independence monument and Sculpture Archangel Michael on the Independence Square

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kyiv , Ukraine - 20 February 2026
10. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Ruslan Knysh, Ukrainian war veteran: ++SOUNDBITE STARTS ON SHOT8 AND IS OVERLAID BY SHOT9&11++
"No matter what anyone says, I’m not strong. I just can’t allow myself to fall apart, because the guys and girls who gave their lives — I have no right to betray their struggle. But in spirit, I’m very weak. No matter what anyone says. There are moments when it really overwhelms me, when I start thinking about ending my life and asking myself, “Why not me?” And then I realize that maybe fate has its own plans."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kyiv , Ukraine - 21 February 2026
11. Various of people on the Kyiv Main Street
12. Mid of Knysh
STORYLINE:
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ruslan Knysh was 16 and still in school. Now 20, he is a veteran of the war in Ukraine.

From an early age, Knysh says he had a heightened sense of justice and a deep interest in history. As a teenager, he became fascinated by Ukraine’s past, including the fate of the Executed Renaissance and the Sixtiers — Ukrainian artists and intellectuals persecuted by Soviet authorities.

In the months that followed, Knysh says he joined what he describes as a “cyber army,” taking part in organized online efforts that targeted Russians financially and raising funds for Ukraine’s armed forces. He also says he worked with young people, encouraging them to be more aware and engaged about their country.

In late December 2023, after repeated conflicts at home, he says he left his house in Selydove in the Donetsk region on foot, citing physical abuse by his mother and disagreements over his pro-Ukrainian views. In February 2024, he applied to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine and was first assigned to the 109th Brigade, where he served as a mortar operator and machine gunner in the infantry.


"I remember we were already lying down. The blast threw me into the field. I was lying there — grass, weeds," he said.


"I just can’t allow myself to fall apart, because the guys and girls who gave their lives — I have no right to betray their struggle. But in spirit, I’m very weak," Knysh said.


AP Video by Srdjan Nedeljkovic
Production Kamila Hrabchuk

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