Boy who survived Russian missile attack on Vinnytsia takes off scar treatment mask he wore for two years – photo
Roman Oleksiv, a boy who survived a Russian missile attack on Vinnytsia on 14 July 2022, has removed the special blue mask he wore for two years. The mask helped prevent scarring on his face following the severe injuries he had sustained.
The boy's father, Yaroslav Oleksiv, has shared new photos of his son, now without the mask on his face.
On 14 July 2022, Roman and his mother, Halyna, were waiting for a doctor's appointment in Vinnytsia when Russian missiles hit the city centre. The mother, 29, was killed instantly, along with the doctor and 25 other people.
Roman survived the attack despite suffering 45% burns to his body and damage to his internal organs. As his father, Yaroslav Oleksiv, explained, "his whole body was burnt. When he crawled out after the explosion, he sat on hot stones, which burned his legs and buttocks".
After the tragedy, Roman underwent 27 operations and spent over 100 days in intensive care at the University Hospital of Dresden. In Germany, he began wearing compression garments and a special mask to prevent scar growth and prepare his skin for further plastic surgery.
Doctors had predicted that the boy would not be able to walk on his own, but he surprised everyone with his determination and perseverance.
Later, Roman returned to his home school and resumed ballroom dancing and accordion lessons.
The next stage of his treatment – the removal of the scar repair mask – was completed at the end of 2024.
"The time has come when the blue mask is now just a memory of that period in our lives. Our rehabilitation now looks, and will continue to look, different. In our minds, we are already home in Ukraine. We hope this will soon be a reality. A new chapter will begin there – life, recovery, and dreams!" the boy's father said.
Background: On 14 July 2022, Russian forces attacked the centre of Vinnytsia. The bombardment claimed the lives of at least 20 people and left over 50 others seriously injured. At the time, 4-year-old Liza died from her injuries while on her way to a speech therapist with her mother.
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