Two Veterans With Prosthetic Legs Conquer 6,476-Meter Himalayan Peak in Tribute to Ukraine’s Defenders

Two veterans who each lost a lower leg while defending Ukraine have summited Mera Peak in Nepal, reaching an altitude of 6,476 meters (21,247 feet) and dedicating their ascent to Ukrainian service members fighting Russia’s full-scale invasion and those who have died in the war. Christopher John Park-Greenwood, a former British soldier who served in Ukraine’s military, and Roman Havryliak, a Ukrainian veteran, completed the climb using prosthetic legs as part of an expedition organized with Second Wind, a Ukrainian community supporting service members and veterans with limb loss through adaptive mountain sports.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The expedition began on Oct. 1, Ukraine’s Defenders Day. The climbers dedicated their ascent to those continuing to defend the country and to the memory of those who have given their lives. According to Second Wind, the team faced demanding high-altitude conditions, including temperatures below freezing, up to three meters of fresh snow and avalanches in close proximity. The multi-day expedition required gradual altitude gain and acclimatization before the final push to the summit. For Greenwood and Havryliak, Mera Peak marked another milestone in a mountaineering journey that began after their combat injuries. The climb followed their ascent of Mount Ararat in Turkey, which stands at 5,137 meters (16,854 feet), in the summer of 2026. From combat injuries to high-altitude mountaineering Both climbers spent more than a year preparing for the expedition through regular training, climbing-gym sessions and increasingly challenging routes in Ukraine’s Carpathian Mountains. Other Topics of Interest Kyiv Mayor Faces Questioning as Russian Attack Triggers Fresh Water Cuts As Russia unleashed another overnight ballistic missile attack on Ukraine’s energy grid, water supplies to Kyivans were cut off once again as an energy truce remains elusive. Greenwood, originally from Yorkshire, England, is a career soldier who previously served in the British Army and the French Foreign Legion. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s (AFU) 73rd Naval Special Operations Centre. He sustained a severe combat injury in 2023 that resulted in the loss of his lower leg. Two veterans summited Mera Peak in Nepal with the support of the Second Wind Foundation team. (Photo courtesy of the Second Wind Foundation) Havryliak, known by the call sign “Hava,” is from the Lviv region. He volunteered to join the AFU following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion and served as a drone operator with the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade. He also sustained a severe combat injury that led to the loss of his leg. After more than a year of treatment and multiple surgeries, Havryliak set himself a new goal: returning to the mountains. Both veterans subsequently became active members of Second Wind, a charitable foundation and community that brings together Ukrainian service members and veterans who use prostheses, taking part in its training sessions and mountain programs. The expedition was accompanied by Gennady Gazin, Anna Vozna and Oleksii Aleksieienko, the founders of the organization. Second Wind grew out of the documentary project Second Wind, which followed five Ukrainian service members who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain. The foundation currently runs regular adaptive mountain sports programs in Ukraine and organizes mountain expeditions for its community members. Ukrainian veterans turn to mountain climbing for rehabilitation Ukrainian veterans are increasingly taking on mountain-climbing challenges at home and abroad as part of their rehabilitation after severe combat injuries. Many of these expeditions involve service members who have undergone amputations and climb using prosthetic limbs, demonstrating how adaptive mountaineering can help veterans return to physically demanding activities. In early 2025, five Ukrainian veterans completed a group ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, at 5,895 meters (19,341 feet). The expedition was described as a world first for a group of veterans with combat-related injuries. The participants included Roman Kolesnyk, known by the call sign “Dobriak,” a veteran of the 3rd Assault Brigade who underwent an amputation after a severe injury; border guard Vladyslav Shatilo, known as “Shatia,” who lost a limb; and Mykhailo Matviiv, or “Grizzly,” a member of the Omega Special Forces Detachment of the National Guard of Ukraine who was injured by a landmine near Vuhledar. The group also included Oleksandr Mikhov, known as “Ragnar,” an Omega special forces fighter who uses a prosthesis, and a servicewoman known by the call sign “Vysota” (“Height”), who sustained severe injuries twice while serving at the front. In May 2025, Ukrainian military intelligence veterans Ivan Taran and Oleksandr Dashko, both of whom had undergone major amputations, reached the Everest Base Camp in Nepal at an altitude of approximately 5,400 meters (17,717 feet), using prosthetic limbs. The expedition was organized by Ukrainian mountaineerc Tetiana Yalovchak. Veterans have also taken on mountain challenges within Ukraine. Volodymyr Voropai, a veteran of the 73rd Naval Special Operations Centre who lost a leg during the war, helped pioneer climbs of Mount Hoverla (2,061 meters, or 6,762 feet) for veterans with amputations. In October 2026, service member Maksym Bashynskyi, who was wounded near Huliaipole, climbed Mount Vysokyi Verkh in the Carpathians, which stands at 1,176 meters (3,858 feet), as part of the Travel Therapy project. Volunteers assisted him using a specialized all-terrain mobility cart known as “Julietta.” Group ascents of Mount Hoverla have also brought together dozens of veterans. Among the initiatives reported in late 2025 and 2026 were a climb involving 50 veterans from the Kyiv region and an ascent by Special Operations Forces (SSO) personnel who carried a fellow veteran with an amputation to the summit of Ukraine’s highest mountain.