First Mission in Ukraine with Olivier, Director of Operations
We arrived on July 21 from Rzeszów, Poland. With the airspace closed, the journey continued by car: a ten-hour drive, with a first night in Lviv. This slow and complex logistics already says much about the war: entering Ukraine is to share, even for a moment, the daily constraints of an entire country.
The context is heavy. On the night of the 21st, Kyiv was hit by a massive attack: over 420 drones and around twenty missiles, some hitting a daycare, a metro station, and residential areas. Ten days later, a new wave caused up to 18 deaths and more than 150 injuries. Our mission took place between these two assaults, like a fragile parenthesis. During our stay, a few nighttime alerts were enough to remind us of the constant underlying anxiety weighing on residents.
Kyiv: a tense but vibrant capital
What struck me was the calm of Ukrainians. Everywhere, the war is present: interrupted nights, sudden awakenings, worry for loved ones. Many are sleep-deprived, yet no one complains. This silent dignity commands respect.
And yet, life goes on. In Lviv, restaurants and bars remain lively until curfew. In Kyiv, families stroll in parks, and young people linger outdoors in the evenings. An almost festive vitality, as if a collective refusal to fully succumb to war. This strength is rooted in history. Since 1991, civil society has continuously resisted. In 2014, the Maidan was a decisive rupture: Ukrainians rose against a pro-Russian president who had reneged on his promise to sign the association agreement with the European Union—a sovereign act and an irrevocable choice for Europe.
Civic engagement remains: the demonstrations
This spirit endures. During my mission, the population—a highly mobilized youth—took to the streets to oppose a plan to bring the anti-corruption body under government control. Massive and determined mobilization forced the measure to be withdrawn. Even in war, democracy is lived daily here, both in the streets and within institutions.
Maidan: memory and grief
Today, Maidan is also a place of mourning. On one of the lawns, thousands of small blue-and-yellow flags have been planted, tightly packed. Each bears the photo of a soldier fallen in combat.
I stop in front of these faces, sometimes so young they could be my own children. Behind each flag is a life cut short, a grieving family, an interrupted story. This field of bright colors has become a symbolic cemetery: a silent tribute to the price Ukraine pays every day for its independence.
Exemplary Ukrainian colleagues
In Kyiv, I met the local team of La Chaîne de l’Espoir. Their dedication gives our work a particular dimension: it is not only about external assistance but a shared struggle.
Polina, a pediatric surgeon, left Canada to return in the early days of the war. Mykhailo, an orthopedic surgeon, travels to Kharkiv every weekend, near the front line, to operate with his colleagues. For over three years, he has not taken a vacation. Their energy and determination embody the mission better than any speech. La Chaîne de l’Espoir lives through them.
Institutional meetings in Kyiv
Our days were also filled with numerous meetings: Ministry of Health, Expertise France, AFD, French Embassy, OCHA, and the manager of the Humanitarian Fund for Ukraine. These encounters are essential for strengthening partnerships and preparing new projects.
A healthcare system weakened by war
Discussions confirmed that the war exposes the flaws of an already fragile hospital system. Three major challenges emerge:
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Infections: Patients often arrive too late, after prolonged tourniquet use, without proper antibiotics. Wounds become infected, often with multi-resistant strains; many amputations could have been avoided. Observations from evaluations conducted by La Chaîne de l’Espoir are being incorporated into our projects.
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Avoidable amputations: Too many patients lose limbs due to delayed stabilization or transfer to specialized hospitals.
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Biomedical equipment: In many hospitals, essential equipment remains unused due to lack of maintenance, spare parts, or trained technicians. This paradox—available but unusable equipment—is a system Achilles’ heel. We address it by training local staff and restoring vital equipment.
Return to Lviv: Damage Control and reconstruction
In Lviv, we visited the Husome center, where six surgeons undergo intensive Damage Control training. One day of theory, followed by one day of practice. Under anesthesia, pigs are used following strict ethical protocols. Surgeons must diagnose and stabilize injuries to the bladder, liver, lungs, and heart.
Damage Control teaches how to stabilize a patient and buy time before transfer to a better-equipped hospital. These trainings, designed by Professor François Pons—a volunteer surgeon with La Chaîne de l’Espoir, former military, and former director of the Val-de-Grâce School—are now in high demand. Their impact is immediate on the ground: they save lives. To date, nearly 270 Ukrainian surgeons have been trained by La Chaîne de l’Espoir in this method, significantly strengthening surgical capacities in wartime.
St Pantelimon Hospital and the memory of heroes
At St Pantelimon Hospital, the corridors are adorned with portraits of doctors, including Dr. Stéphane Romano, a French volunteer surgeon with La Chaîne de l’Espoir. His commitment alongside local medical staff has earned him the status of a true hero. His photo reminds us of the impact a single doctor can have.
St Pantelimon is also one of the largest medical facilities in western Ukraine, with the country’s largest intensive care unit (nearly 100 beds), a 700 m² state-of-the-art sterilization unit, and a cutting-edge transplant center capable of complex procedures thanks to an immunogenetics lab and advanced technologies. A pillar of Ukraine’s health system, marked by war yet looking toward the future.
Unbroken: reconstruction after injury
Finally, we visited the Unbroken center, a showcase of Ukrainian resilience. Next-generation prosthetics, exoskeletons, medical robotics: everything supports rehabilitation. Patients, often very young, relearn to walk, live, and rebuild themselves. The contrast is striking: on one hand, avoidable amputations due to delayed care; on the other, innovation giving hope.
Conclusion
Three priorities emerge from this mission:
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Train surgeons in Damage Control to save more lives.
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Provide faster, better care to prevent infections and unnecessary amputations.
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Strengthen biomedical capacities by training technicians to restore hospital equipment.
Beyond projects, I retain the image of a dignified and resilient people, and of my Ukrainian colleagues who fight every day, not only to save lives but to defend the future of their country.
Anouchka Finker
Anouchka Finker has been CEO of La Chaîne de l’Espoir since 2019. She has over twenty years of international experience in strategic management and partnership development in multicultural environments, both in the private and humanitarian sectors.
As head of La Chaîne de l’Espoir, she leads the work of a 240-staff international medical organization active in around twenty countries. The NGO focuses on improving access to healthcare for the most vulnerable populations, especially children and women, while sustainably strengthening health systems, with particular attention to surgery. She works closely with local partners to provide lasting solutions and meet needs in crisis contexts.
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