Two New Ukrainian Heroes Begin Their Journey to Recovery with Kind Deeds

This month, we welcomed two new defenders of Ukraine into the Kind Deeds family – Yurii Saiko and Mykhailo Kityk – both severely wounded in the war and lost their legs above knees. Now they are receiving advanced prosthetic care and rehabilitation in New York.

Meet Yurii Saiko

Yurii volunteered to defend Ukraine at just 19. In 2022, he fought in the brutal defense of Mariupol, where he was wounded and taken into Russian captivity. After surviving 43 days as a POW, he was released and began his long road to recovery.

Thanks to your support, Yurii is now undergoing intensive rehabilitation and prosthetic training in the U.S. Beyond healing, he’s using his voice to advocate for over 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers still in Russian captivity.

Meet Mykhailo Kityk

Before the full-scale invasion, Mykhailo was a mathematics and computer science teacher in a small town in western Ukraine. When the war began, he joined the Armed Forces. As a Junior Sergeant in the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Mykhailo was seriously wounded during a Russian assault and lost his leg above the knee.

What keeps him moving forward is the support of his loved ones — and his unwavering belief in Ukraine’s victory.

“I want to return run again, and inspire others to rebuild a better world,” Mykhailo shares.