The day was dotted with showers, and at one point even lightning struck, but despite the weather a record-breaking 45,000 people turned up to compete in the annual Brussels 20 km. Among them were eight Ukrainian war veterans raising awareness about soldiers with injuries and disabilities.
Supported by NGO Promote Ukraine, the veterans visited Brussels to take part in the iconic sporting event, all for their own personal reasons as well as a desire to raise awareness about soldiers who were disabled or injured in combat.
Yurii Kozlovskyi lost his leg in the Donetsk region in 2016. "I wasn’t a big fan of sport before I had a disability, but because of all the hospital treatment, I had to lie down for two months and it was hard to move afterwards," he told The Brussels Times. "And I actually started to dream about running."
Kozlovsky has a prosthetic leg and has already completed several marathons as well as the Brussels 20km in 2023. He wants to show others in his situation that a disability is not a barrier to achieving big things.
"I am trying to inspire people, as well as to show Europeans that Ukrainian soldiers are still able to serve in the army despite disabilities and injuries." The 42-year-old has friends with disabilities fighting in the frontlines in Ukraine.
Credit: Promote Ukraine / Anastasia Varvarina
Meanwhile, Serhiy Kalytiuk sees the Brussels 20 km as a warm-up for what the future holds. The 31-year-old has been in a wheelchair since 2014, when he sustained five bullet wounds to the head as he performed first aid on a fellow soldier. He didn’t think he would survive at the time but came out of hospital determined "to open the pages of a new life."
"I live an active, independent, and happy life, and if I motivate at least one person, inspiring them by my example, I will be very happy and consider it a personal victory," Kalytiuk says. He is gearing up to eventually participate in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, the tenth-largest marathon in the world.
Roman Panchenko is also participating in the wheelchair race and says that humour "helps to process difficult situations. It’s a coping mechanism, as well as an opportunity to see the fun in things."
Credit: Promote Ukraine / Anastasia Varvarina
Indeed, the three men make constant jokes about their conditions throughout the conversation. They are all of the view that black humour is an essential element of coming to terms with and managing a disability. It is clear that both poking fun and empowering others is of central importance to the veterans.
At the heart of the initiative is a desire to rally European spirits in favour of the Ukrainian cause, over two years on from the Russian invasion. "People [in Ukraine] are exhausted," says Kozlovsky. "They need all kinds of support, whether it is ammunition, weapons, or support from the general public."
Belgium has continued to provide material support to Ukraine but dismissed the idea of sending troops to the country when the suggestion was raised by French President Emmanuel Macron in February. This month, the Belgian Presidency of the EU agreed to unfreeze Russian assets and eventually use them to provide further support to Ukraine.
