Russian servicemen attend a practice for sabotage operations behind enemy lines at a training ground on an undisclosed location (Picture: AP)

When Russia’s deputy defence minister hailed the invasion of Ukraine for advancing the prosthetics field,it was a little like praising a house fire for boosting the local construction business.

For the Kremlin,it is a silver lining of sorts in the context of more than one million Russian soldiers killed or injured – and counting – in the past almost four years of fighting.

Amid the rising number of Russians with disabilities,the government has announced that it plans to spend around £1 billion on prosthetics in 2026.

Compared to the pre-war period,the fund is three times what the country typically spends.

Janis Kluge,a senior associate at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs,shared the data,pointing to the budget in 2021,which allowed for less than £300 million.

He warned: ‘In the 2026 budget,Russia plans to spend 100 billion rubles on prostheses for people with disabilities. That’s a lot of prostheses.’

The budget is set to address months-long delays and other problems for wounded troops.

This comes after deputy defence minister Anna Tsivilyova said disabled soldiers coming back from the battlefield had become a ‘driver’ in pushing Russia’s innovation in prosthetics. 

Vladimir Putin visits a prosthetic and a rehabilitation centre for service members who were wounded in Ukraine (Picture: AFP)

She told a conference in the eastern city of Vladivostok in September: ‘The participants of the special military operation have allowed us to reach a new flagship level.

‘We are probably leading in this field now. Neither China,the Asia-Pacific countries,nor European countries offer such a comprehensive service.’

She added: ‘Guys with double lower limb amputations stand on snowboards,on skis… play tennis,go rock climbing,mountaineering,ride bicycles,play guitars…

‘I think that this is a huge leap in the field of prosthetics.’

In the 2026 budget,Russia plans to spend 100 billion rubles on prostheses for people with disabilities. That's a lot of prostheses. pic.twitter.com/qFO3VHc9bF

— Janis Kluge (@jakluge) October 31,2025

Open-sourced data from the Russian ministry of labour,Russians with disabilities received more than 150,000 artificial limbs in 2024.

Earlier this year,the UK ministry of defence reported that the issuance of arm prosthetics has risen by 75% since the start of the war,while wheelchair distribution increased by 18%.

A statement added: ‘Russia is almost certainly failing to provide necessary combat medical treatment at the front line,which in turn contributes to a greater number of serious long-term injuries among Russian soldiers.’

It added that the growing number of disabled veterans would ‘almost certainly have a detrimental long-term impact’ on Russia’s medical and social services.