Tryzub: Ukraine’s first comprehensive national trauma program for frontline physicians

Published: November 5, 2026

Ukraine had not seen a training like this before. In one week, 16 physicians went through 3 courses that build on each other. They started with the initial assessment and stabilization of a trauma patient (ATLS). Then they moved to surgical decisions in severe injuries (DSTC) and the surgical techniques for stopping hemorrhage and performing emergency interventions (ASSET).

Razom co-organized Tryzub, Ukraine’s first comprehensive national trauma surgery and resuscitation program, initiated by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. We delivered it in collaboration with the American College of Surgeons, International Association for Trauma Surgery and Intensive Care (IATSIC), the Global Medical Knowledge Alliance (GMKA), NGO Chest!, Department of Health and SOF “A”. Razom for Ukraine and Expertise France provided the financial and organisational support.

“Strong trauma care depends on skilled medical professionals who know how to work together under pressure. Through Tryzub, we wanted to help Ukrainian teams strengthen their skills, build connections with international colleagues, and bring that experience back to their points of care. We hope this program will have a lasting impact on how trauma care is delivered across Ukraine,” said Yuliia Shama, Health Project Manager, Razom for Ukraine.

The 16 physicians were 8 surgeons and 8 anesthesiologists who trained together. They serve at stabilization points and in forward surgical teams near the front line. In the program, they practiced working as one team in critical situations.

The 3 courses:

ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support): initial trauma assessment, resuscitation and stabilization.
DSTC (Definitive Surgical Trauma Care): surgical decision-making and management of severe injuries.
ASSET (Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma): surgical exposure techniques for hemorrhage control and emergency interventions.

Together, the courses strengthened clinical decision-making, surgical skills, and coordination between surgeons and anesthesiologists.

“We had been dreaming of taking an authentic, ACS-certified ATLS course for several years. It provides the framework to structure knowledge and systemize the approach to care—directly impacting a patient’s chances of survival. If ATLS courses are conducted regularly in Ukraine, I am more than convinced that over time we will see significantly improved statistics regarding patient survival and injury outcomes,” said Dr. Kateryna Maslyak, anesthesiologist and Medical Director of the NGO CHEST!, who participated in the Tryzub program.

The Ministry of Defence plans to expand such courses so that all Defence Forces surgeons and anesthesiologists can train according to best practices from the United States and other NATO member states.

“When a service member goes into combat, they must know that if they are wounded, people nearby will do everything they can to save their life. That kind of trust matters enormously at the front. And that trust is built on training, experience, and effective teamwork. That is why we want our medical personnel to have the best possible knowledge and skills and to be able to work as one team.”, emphasized Evgeniy Khmara, Minister of Defence of Ukraine

Tryzub united international medical societies, nonprofits, and the Ministry of Defence to reinforce Ukraine’s trauma care system. It marks the start of a broader effort to provide more Ukrainian medical teams with this level of training.

Every life saved starts with the right training, skills, and teamwork. With your support, Razom can continue strengthening Ukraine’s medical teams and helping frontline healthcare professionals deliver lifesaving care when every second counts.

Support Razom and help save lives in Ukraine.

Mental Health Program Razom with You was recognized at the Clinton Global Initiative

Published: October 7, 2026

It was a great honor for us to stand on the same stage with global leaders, changemakers, and organizations working to address some of the world’s most urgent challenges.

Razom with You, a mental health support program providing free, professional psychological support to Ukrainians affected by the war. The program helps people cope with the impact of war, build resilience, support psychological well-being, and expand access to quality mental health care across Ukrainian communities

At the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York, during the The Optimism Strategy session, we had the opportunity to share the story of Razom with You — our mental health program providing free, professional psychological support to Ukrainians affected by the war.

We need to stand with the Ukrainian people and with the values of freedom and democracy that are at stake in this fight, because their fight is our fight, whether everybody wants to recognize it, accept it, or not. At CGI, we are not backing down, especially with another winter approaching. Our promise is simple: we will stay in this with you. Because together, we can help see Ukraine through to the end, open the way to the end of this war, and help its people rebuild their lives with dignity.

Hillary Clinton, former U.S. Secretary of State

Being part of a global conversation that brings together leaders from government, business, philanthropy, and civil society was deeply meaningful to our team. It was especially powerful to hear such strong words of support for Ukraine and for the work being done to care for Ukrainians.

We were supporting work in Ukraine before the war. We are there now, and we will be there in the future. We remain resolutely committed to the health of Ukrainians, and I’m honored to announce a further $10 million commitment to help organizations, including Razom, provide the care and services needed.

Amy Weaver, Chief Executive Officer at Direct Relief

We are deeply grateful to Direct Relief for standing with Razom and for supporting our work.

Razom with You has reached tens of thousands of Ukrainians and hundreds of organizations. It was a great honor to be recognized on the CGI stage, and especially meaningful to see the work and impact of our program acknowledged at this level.

My deepest appreciation goes to the Razom with You team — our psychologists, program and operations colleagues, coordinators, and everyone working behind the scenes. At the heart of our work are two things. First, supporting people through the war and everything they’re facing right now. And second, helping Ukraine recover and build a healthier, stronger future in the long term.

Iryna Gudyma, Head of the Razom with You program

Razom with You Grateful to Direct Relief for Supporting Mental Health and Resilience in Ukraine

Published: October 6, 2026

Razom with You is deeply grateful to Direct Relief for its partnership and continued support of our Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Program in Ukraine. We were honored to welcome Amy Weaver, CEO of Direct Relief, and her team to our center in Lviv. They met with our psychologists and staff to learn more about our work and the mental health needs we see across Ukraine.

Direct Relief is a U.S.-based humanitarian organization working in health care in the United States and more than 80 countries worldwide. It is an important international partner for Ukraine and a major supporter of Razom with You.

The visit brought together the Razom with You team, psychologists, partners, and program participants to share firsthand how mental health needs continue to evolve during the prolonged war. It was also an opportunity to discuss how sustained investment in people and systems helps them continue functioning under extraordinary pressure.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Razom with You has evolved from emergency response efforts into a broader mental health program. It now combines individual support, psychoeducation, burnout prevention, workforce resilience, and scalable approaches designed for long-term impact.

The realities on the ground continue to shape this work. Prolonged stress, burnout, moral injury, and cumulative trauma increasingly affect not only individuals, but also healthcare workers, educators, social workers, volunteers, and other people-centered professions.

Today, the program increasingly focuses on strengthening Ukraine’s human infrastructure of care — the people carrying communities through prolonged crises: psychologists, healthcare workers, educators, social workers, caregivers, veterans’ specialists, and families.

“Our work today goes beyond therapy. We see how much pressure the people who care for others are carrying, and supporting them has become an important part of what we do,” said Iryna Gudyma, Razom with You Program Director. “When psychologists, healthcare workers, educators, social workers, and other professionals have the support they need, they are better able to continue caring for others through prolonged uncertainty.”

Razom with You works directly with people and professionals across Ukraine, bringing their experiences and needs into the development of practical mental health and psychosocial support approaches.

Amy Weaver has emphasized the importance of investing not only in immediate humanitarian response, but also in the people and systems that help Ukraine move forward.

“Seeing this work firsthand highlights the importance of supporting not only immediate response, but also the people and structures that help communities move forward,” said Amy Weaver.

Direct Relief’s partnership has helped Razom with You strengthen continuity of care, create safe spaces, support professionals working under prolonged stress, and expand long-term resilience efforts across Ukraine.

Razom with You is deeply grateful to Direct Relief for its partnership and continued support of mental health and psychosocial services as Ukraine continues strengthening recovery and resilience.

VICTOR Vascular Surgery Course: Ukraine and the United States Develop a new approach to saving lives after trauma

Published: September 30, 2026

Severe trauma can cause massive bleeding, and within minutes, that bleeding can become fatal. The ability to control it quickly is therefore critical to saving a wounded patient’s life. That is the focus of VICTOR, a pilot vascular surgery course for combat trauma developed through a collaboration between Ukrainian and U.S. military surgeons at the initiative of Razom for Ukraine and Operation Ukraine. The course focuses on complex vascular injuries and was developed with support from the University of Oklahoma, the University of Maryland Medical Center, the Uniformed Services University, the Ukraine Military Medical Forces, and the Special Operations Center “A” of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

In September 2026, Ukrainian and U.S. military surgeons came together in Texas for an intensive course of lectures, simulations, and hands-on training — VICTOR (Vascular Interventions in Combat Trauma Operations). Ukrainian doctors attended not only as trainees, but as full professional partners, sharing their experience of drone warfare, complex evacuations, and injuries that even some of the most experienced military medical professionals had never encountered before. Their American colleagues, in turn, contributed their own experience in military medicine, an advanced training system, and leading techniques for treating vascular trauma.

The first VICTOR course established a new model of collaboration, combining Ukraine’s wartime experience with U.S. military medicine to prepare surgeons to manage the most complex vascular injuries.

Course that began with a request from Ukrainian surgeons

VICTOR grew out of a specific request from Ukrainian military surgeons. Eight doctors came to the United States for the training. They work at Role 2 — the level of care where wounded patients receive surgical treatment after being evacuated from the battlefield. They are experienced specialists, most of whom have spent long periods working close to the front line.

“In civilian practice, these injuries would typically be managed by a vascular surgeon. At the front, however, the situation is different: the wounded may be treated by an orthopedic, maxillofacial, or general surgeon — a doctor who does not routinely work with vascular injuries. That makes the ability to quickly gain control of a vessel, stop bleeding, place a shunt, or perform a vascular repair potentially lifesaving. The challenge that leading experts from Ukraine and the United States are working to address is how to create effective training that enables surgeons of any specialty to acquire, in a short period of time, the skills critical to treating combat trauma,” explains Yuliia Shama, head of the Razom Co-Pilot project, which focuses on strengthening surgical capacity in Ukraine.

She adds that this is why, since January 2026, Razom has been organizing Asset training in Ukraine. The program gives surgeons of any specialty a practical algorithm for controlling bleeding and covers the basic competencies needed to manage combat injuries. The VICTOR training in the United States was conceived as an opportunity for Asset instructors to further develop their skills and practice more complex procedures.

Razom for Ukraine joined the organization of the training, helping create an opportunity for Ukrainian doctors to acquire precisely the skills they need when working with combat trauma. At VICTOR, surgeons practiced not only hemorrhage control but also complex reconstructive procedures — vascular anastomosis, reconstruction of vessel walls using pericardial patches, placement of vascular implants, and other interventions that may be necessary before the next stage of evacuation.

This requires practice on cadavers. That is why the training was held in Texas, in the San Antonio area, where a large military medical infrastructure is located. The Center for Health Science laboratory, which is used to train American military medical personnel and international teams, has the equipment and facilities necessary for this type of training.

Ukraine and the U.S.: Full Partners in Advancing Modern Combat Medicine

The training brought together not only Ukrainian participants but also American military physicians, including U.S. Air Force medical personnel and senior U.S. Army surgeons who develop surgical training programs for the U.S. Army. Their presence matters not only as additional expertise: the American colleagues are also evaluating the VICTOR format itself and considering which of its elements could be useful in preparing military surgeons in the United States. The physicians have real combat experience, having served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For the American colleagues, the Ukrainian experience is especially valuable, shaped as it is by the scale and nature of the war. For Ukrainian surgeons, in turn, what matters is the American training system, the accumulated experience of military medicine, and the chance to practice complex procedures in conditions that are hard to replicate in Ukraine.

For Mark Mims, co-director and co-founder of VICTOR, the course is part of a much broader effort to work with Ukrainian physicians that he has been developing in Oklahoma. Through professional collaboration with Ukrainian surgeons, dozens of specialists have already come to the U.S., where they observed their colleagues at work, deepened their knowledge, and returned to Ukraine with new experience. VICTOR has become a separate strand of this work.

“The Ukrainian surgeons who come to us are already excellent specialists. What they need are advanced techniques for the extraordinarily complex cases they see because of new types of injuries, including those caused by drone warfare. We are trying to teach them to handle precisely those cases at the limit of what is possible, where a patient has a chance of survival but can only be saved with the best possible care,” Mims says.

That is why VICTOR was built as a very high-level course. The program includes hands-on work with complex vascular trauma, reconstructive procedures, and the practice of techniques that are especially important when decisions must be made quickly and there is minimal room for error. According to Mims, senior U.S. Army military surgeons who reviewed the program called it the most challenging vascular trauma course they had ever seen. He stresses that the program was deliberately designed at the highest level possible for this format, in response to the Ukrainians’ request and drawing on their experience.

The value of this format also lies in the fact that each side brings its own experience to it. One of the American military surgeons who took part in the training called it one of the best training experiences he has had in recent years. He said the practical skills were so valuable that he regretted not having had the chance to learn them earlier. For security reasons, his name and position are not being disclosed.

From Ukrainian Experience to an International Training Standard

Dmytro Mialkovskyi is a Ukrainian military surgeon, a general and vascular surgeon, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and vascular surgery instructor. He works directly with combat trauma within Ukraine’s military medical system and has hands-on experience treating the wounded, accumulated over the years of the full-scale war.

For Ukrainian surgeons, this exchange takes place against the backdrop of experience that cannot be found in textbooks. The mass use of drones, large numbers of casualties, difficult evacuations, and long delays before reaching the operating room are changing not only how medical care is organized but the very nature of the injuries.

“The Americans have a strong system and a strong foundation. We have a great deal of new experience that we gained directly during the war: knowledge that needs to be properly processed and systematized. That is why we greatly value the opportunity to be here, work together with our colleagues, and develop this collaboration. For us, this is truly an important and valuable opportunity,” Mialkovskyi says.

VICTOR was not only a hands-on training for a specific group of surgeons but also an important pilot for future combat trauma training programs. Combining Ukraine’s experience of modern warfare, the American military medical system, practical work, and specialists from both countries creates a foundation that can be developed and scaled.

The next step could be broader international training for surgeons and military medical personnel from countries preparing for new types of war and mass-casualty trauma. What was a pilot format this time could potentially grow into a much larger system for sharing expertise and training, one that would be valuable well beyond Ukraine and the United States.

Ministry of Health Recognizes Razom’s Healthcare Contribution

Published: September 30, 2026

Ukraine’s Ministry of Health has honored Razom for Ukraine for supporting the country’s healthcare during the full-scale war. The award was presented at a meeting between Minister Viktor Liashko, Deputy Minister Mariia Karchevych, and representatives of Ukrainian and international nonprofits that have been essential partners to the sector since 2022.

Minister Liashko emphasized that achieving Ukraine’s strategic goals in health requires continued cooperation between the Ministry and civil society. The priorities he outlined — war trauma, reconstructive surgery, mental health, rehabilitation, medical evacuation, and prosthetics — closely reflect the focus of Razom’s Health program.

“Thank you to everyone who has stood by us all these years and supported Ukrainian medicine. Your help allows the healthcare system to respond faster to the needs of medical facilities and patients, close critical requests more quickly, and provide support where it is needed most,” said Viktor Liashko, Minister of Health.

For Razom, the award is also confirmation that our current programs address the areas Ukraine considers critical for the resilience and long-term recovery of its health system.

“Being recognized by Ukraine’s Ministry of Health is a meaningful acknowledgment of our work and the impact we’re making together. We’re proud to support Ukraine’s healthcare system, from mental health and rehabilitation to prosthetics and medical education, and to help ensure that people can access the care they need,” said Lileia Dzhaliuk, Deputy Director of Health.

Every program and partnership at Razom exists because our donors make it possible. This award belongs to all of us who chose to invest in Ukraine’s health when it needed it most. At the same time, Ukrainian healthcare expertise is becoming increasingly valuable worldwide, and we’re proud to share what we’ve learned.

“RAZOM z toboyu” psychologist Olha Uhryn joins President’s initiative “Tyshchovesna” as an ethics expert

Published: September 15, 2026

How is the war changing Ukraine’s cultural scene — and what can a psychologist see in the process? Olha Uhryn, a psychologist with the “RAZOM z toboyu” project, created by Razom for Ukraine to support Ukrainians during the war, has joined the President’s “Tyshchovesna” project as an ethics expert. As part of the project, she helped cultural teams navigate sensitive topics, traumatic experiences, and people’s personal stories with care.

During the project’s third stage, held from August 12 to 16, 2026, Olha joined other experts in evaluating cultural projects, with particular attention to how they approached sensitive topics, traumatic experiences, vulnerable groups, and personal stories. Taking part in the process gave her a chance to see Ukraine’s contemporary cultural scene not only as an audience member, but from the inside — and to observe how the war is changing it.

“Tyshchovesna” — Government Initiative Supporting Ukrainian Culture

“Tyshchovesna” was created to support artists and creators who produce Ukrainian cultural content, tell Ukrainian stories, and strengthen the cultural resilience of society. Another goal of the project is to create a Ukrainian information environment for the growth and development of young people. The project was initiated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine and the Office of the President of Ukraine are responsible for its implementation. A total of 282 projects advanced to the second stage of the competition. Each section included an inclusivity expert and a psychologist — an ethics consultant.

How the War Is Changing Ukrainian Theater

The work on “Tyshchovesna” clearly demonstrates how Ukrainian theater is shifting its focus toward a people-centered and inclusive approach — both physically and mentally. Sign language interpretation, audio description, and physical accessibility of venues are no longer treated as “services upon request.” They are becoming part of the artistic concept and an expression of respect for the audience.

The themes are changing, too. Ukrainian theater is increasingly turning to subjects rooted in the country’s present and its history: the experience of war and how people process it, the reintegration of veterans, loss, and family stories. At the same time, the stage is finding new ways to interpret classical works and bringing the names of prominent Ukrainian writers and cultural figures back into the spotlight, including those associated with the Executed Renaissance.

“From a psychological perspective, this return to our roots and the modernization of our heritage are signs of the decolonization of our identity. We are learning to see ourselves and understand who we are not through stereotypes imposed by foreign narratives, but through our own depth, dignity, and authentic history,” says Olha Uhryn.

At the same time, there is less need to wrap complex and painful topics in a simplified, pseudo-traditional framework that was often referred to in the past as “sharovarshchyna.” There has also been a noticeable increase in the number of theater initiatives themselves. These include independent theater companies and the Veterans’ Theater, which seek to speak to audiences in their own authentic way about what hurts and matters to people right now.

Alongside them are puppet theaters, therapeutic fairy tales, ethnographic festivals, televised theater productions, adaptations of Ukrainian bestsellers, reimagined classics, and the revival of productions that had been absent from Ukrainian stages for years. In other words, Ukrainian theater is not narrowing into a “theater of war.” On the contrary, it is expanding its themes, formats, and audiences.

Trauma-Sensitive Approach: Not About Censorship, but About Safety

An important part of this transformation is a more attentive approach to how a performance may affect its audience. Olha advises being very cautious with complete darkness and sudden loud sounds. When in complete darkness, a person loses visual reference points, which can lead to a loss of control, increased anxiety, fear, or a panic attack. Sudden sounds, in turn, can become a direct physiological trigger for an exhausted nervous system. Psychological assessment therefore helps identify such risks and address sensitive topics without retraumatization.

According to Olha, the authors responded to these recommendations with understanding and acceptance. She added:

“The boundary between art and reality is very thin for Ukrainian audiences, while the nervous system is already exhausted. The psychologist’s task here is not to prohibit a difficult topic or smooth over the edges, but to suggest how to put ‘safeguards’ in place. It is important for us to avoid retraumatizing the audience.”

Ukraine can learn from the experience of countries that have gone through wars, large-scale historical transformations, or sought ways to preserve mental health through culture and national memory. However, this experience cannot simply be transferred to the Ukrainian context — we need to develop our own.

“RAZOM z toboyu” — Space for Psychological Support

Olha Uhryn is a psychologist with “RAZOM z toboyu,” a project of Razom for Ukraine that provides psychological support to Ukrainians whose lives have been changed by the war. The project combines psychological assistance for adults, support groups, educational webinars, and psychoeducational training for professionals.

“The experience our ‘RAZOM z toboyu’ team has gained supporting people through the war has shown us that this expertise can be valuable far beyond one-on-one psychological support. It matters in the places where cultural narratives are being shaped for millions of Ukrainians. Olha’s participation in ‘Tyshchovesna’ is one example of that. It reminds us that a nation’s mental health is shaped not only in a psychologist’s office, but also on stage, through the stories we bring to life and the way we tell our own stories,” said Iryna Gudyma, Head of the “RAZOM z toboyu” project at the U.S.-based nonprofit organization Razom for Ukraine.

The team works online throughout Ukraine and offline in Dnipro, Bucha, Khmelnytskyi, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk. The project’s mission is to develop a system of mental health support for Ukrainians during the war and after it ends.

We are grateful to Direct Relief for helping strengthen mental health and resilience across Ukraine.

For the first time since its launch in Ukraine: Infection Prevention presented in the U.S. with new data

Published: September 3, 2026

The Infection Prevention project, implemented by the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine with the support of Razom for Ukraine, was presented in the United States for the first time since its official launch in Ukraine — at the Military Health System Research Symposium (MHSRS) 2026.

MHSRS is one of the key conferences in the field of military medicine, bringing together thousands of military medical professionals, researchers, clinicians, and representatives of healthcare systems.

The project was presented by Hailie Uren, Project Lead and Principal Investigator from Public Health Center. Before an international audience, she presented new interim findings from the study for the first time.

To date, 293 people have participated in the study. The results are still preliminary and do not yet allow for definitive statistical conclusions, but the team is already beginning to identify resistant bacteria at the early stages of casualty evacuation.

“It was especially important for me to present this project at the Military Health System Research Symposium to an audience of approximately 5,000 people. Together with my team, Ukrainian military and civilian clinicians, and international partners, we are working on a new approach to caring for war-wounded patients. The goal of this work is not only to save lives and preserve the limbs of wounded people in Ukraine today, but also to create solutions that can change the approach to battlefield medicine in future wars.”

— Hailie Uren, Project Lead and Principal Investigator

The project examines how multidrug-resistant organisms move with war-wounded patients through the medical evacuation system — from the earliest stages of care through hospitalization. The research brings together civilian public health, surveillance, microbiology, infection prevention, and health-system improvement.

A war-wounded patient passes through several stages of medical evacuation — from the casualty collection point and prehospital care to field surgery and hospital care. The longer this journey, the more opportunities there are for multidrug-resistant bacteria to be acquired and transmitted.

That is why researchers are studying the entire evacuation pathway to determine where the risk emerges and where intervention can occur as early as possible. Based on the data collected, standardized approaches to early decontamination pre-hospital are being developed to help reduce the risk of severe infections, the need for broad-spectrum antibiotics, and the spread of resistant bacteria.

The presentation showed significant interest among conference participants. Several conference participants reached out to learn more about the project, discuss opportunities for collaboration, and explore ways to become involved in the work.

“You presented one of the most impressive and important presentations I heard during the four days of the conference. Keep up the great work that you and your colleagues are doing!”

— one of the conference participants
(For security reasons, we cannot publicly disclose the names of all participants.)

The Ukrainian experience in this field is important far beyond Ukraine. Antimicrobial resistance is a shared risk across health systems, and it is managed best where it starts. Ukraine is one of very few settings where the full evacuation pathway can be studied end to end — which is why the standardized early-decontamination approaches emerging from this work matter to military and civilian medicine well beyond Ukraine.

That is why Razom supports projects that help not only treat the consequences of war, but also prevent them.

This project works because it’s led by Ukrainian institutions, not layered on top of them. The Public Health Center and the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics are doing the core scientific work. Razom’s role is to support that work and help it reach audiences that can use it, including at MHSRS.

— Dan Solchanyk, Director of Health, Razom for Ukraine

Infection Prevention provides an opportunity to study these risks directly in wartime conditions and to develop and trial innovative approaches that may be useful for military medicine not only in Ukraine, but also during future large-scale wars.

What happens after foreign teams leave Ukraine?

Published: August 26, 2026

Authored by Dan Solchanyk, Director of Health at Razom

When international organizations come to Ukraine, they bring things Ukraine genuinely needs: clinical experience, specialist expertise, funding, surgeons, instructors, and equipment. That matters, and it produces real results while the work is underway. But the question that decides whether any of it lasts arrives at the end, not the beginning. When the project closes and the visiting team goes home, can the work continue without them? Ukrainian institutions absorb the immediate benefit of the training. What they do not always acquire is what would let them run it themselves. That means certified national instructors, an accreditation pathway, an institutional home, and a financing line that does not depend on the next grant.

That is why the key question for any international healthcare project should be simple. How do we transfer responsibility and ownership to Ukrainian institutions? Who will continue this work after us? Who will run the next course? Who will train the next doctor? Who will have the resources and authority to develop the program further?

This means thinking beyond the launch of a project and planning for the moment when the Ukrainian team can fully take ownership, develop the program, and scale it. That is our bigger goal at Razom. Not just to respond to an emergency, but to help build a system that keeps working whether or not we are there.

Our clearest example of this approach is ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support), which Global Medical Knowledge Alliance (GMKA) is leading the implementation and development of in Ukraine, in partnership with Razom for Ukraine and in collaboration with international ATLS partners, including the American College of Surgeons, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, and Harvard Medical School.

Start with the program itself. ATLS is the global standard for the initial in-hospital assessment and management of the severely injured trauma patient. It is what trauma teams across most of the world are trained on, and it gives clinicians a common language and a common sequence under pressure. In Ukraine, where healthcare professionals face war-related trauma every day, a standardized approach has become increasingly important.

But there is another reason this program is different for us.

Delivery and ownership are two different problems. A course can run well, and the clinicians in the room can come away genuinely better, and none of that guarantees the training continues once the visiting faculty stops coming.

So rather than relying indefinitely on international instructors, we partnered with GMKA in building a Ukrainian team that can deliver ATLS independently, develop new instructors, and sustain the program in Ukraine. The long-term goal is to establish a Ukrainian-led ATLS system, with Ukrainian course directors, educators and institutions taking responsibility for the program, supported by the appropriate international ATLS structures.

This is how international organizations should be working in Ukraine in 2026 and beyond.

We can bring expertise, funding, and experience. But the result we are working toward is stronger Ukrainian clinicians and institutions, not deeper reliance on external support.Put simply, our goal is to build something that no longer needs us. What matters is not how long we’re involved or how much we deliver, but whether the systems we help build can stand on their own.

A successful project is not one that international funding sustains indefinitely. It is one Ukraine can carry on its own, with a system stronger and more capable than the one we found.

Ukrainian Military Physicians Treating Severe Combat Injuries Complete Certified ATLS Training

Published: August 26, 2026

In August 2026, Ukrainian military physicians caring for severely wounded patients across different stages of medical evacuation became the first dedicated military cohort in Ukraine to complete the certified Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course.

The cohort brought together physicians working across the trauma care pathway—from stabilization points and forward surgical teams to military hospitals. By training clinicians from different stages of evacuation together, the course strengthens a shared, structured approach to the rapid assessment, stabilization, and treatment of severely injured patients.

The training was organized by the Global Medical Knowledge Alliance (GMKA) in collaboration with the American College of Surgeons, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, and Harvard Medical School, and in partnership with Razom for Ukraine. The course was delivered by certified ATLS instructors.

According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, more than 41,000 civilians were injured during the first four years of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. The actual number is likely significantly higher, as many cases cannot be independently verified due to lack of access to certain areas. Figures on wounded military personnel are not publicly disclosed. In this context, the need for clinicians trained to manage severe and multiple injuries remains critically high.

ATLS provides a structured approach to the assessment and early management of severely injured patients. It does not replace protocols developed specifically for combat environments. Instead, it gives medical teams a shared framework for action — from identifying the most immediate threats to life and prioritizing interventions to repeatedly reassessing the patient and transferring care to the next medical team.

“It is important that a shared approach is understood and applied not only by individual physicians, but by entire medical teams. That is why implementing ATLS in Ukraine cannot be limited to a few courses for a small group of specialists. Our goal is to build a Ukrainian community of ATLS providers and instructors and create a system in which certified training can be delivered regularly under national leadership,” says Nelya Melnitchouk, MD, MSc, FACS, Co-Founder and CEO of GMKA, board-certified colorectal surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School.

The goal extends beyond meeting the immediate demands of wartime medicine. In the long term, expanding ATLS can also contribute to a more consistent and integrated trauma care system across Ukraine.

“Above all, ATLS provides structure. It is the foundation — a cornerstone of a trauma care system. If everyone shares the same basic understanding of the xABCDE algorithm, the primary and secondary surveys, and continuous reassessment of findings, then you have the foundation for a system-wide approach. It also gives you a common language for professional communication,” explains ATLS Course Director.

The training was supported by Razom for Ukraine as part of its broader work to strengthen Ukraine’s healthcare capacity, including trauma care and medical education.

“Razom’s work is not only about responding to the challenges created by the war. We are also working to make Ukraine’s healthcare system stronger. The ATLS program is one of the best examples of that work. Physicians from across Ukraine, including frontline regions, gain critically important trauma care skills that they then apply in their hospitals and pass on to their colleagues. For us, this is an investment in Ukraine’s future,” says Dan Solchanyk, Director of Razom Health at Razom for Ukraine.

About the Initiative

Global Medical Knowledge Alliance (GMKA) is leading the implementation of ATLS in Ukraine in close collaboration with the American College of Surgeons, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, and Harvard Medical School. The August 2026 ATLS course was conducted with support from Razom for Ukraine.

Halfway Point, Ahead of Schedule: 48 Ukrainians Have New Prostheses

Published: August 13, 2026

Viktoria is 13 and was born with a limb difference. She loves intricate beadwork, bakes cakes to order, and is now learning to style her own hair — with a hand she received a few months ago.

She’s one of 48 people who’ve received a prosthesis through the joint initiative between Razom for Ukraine, Esper Bionics, and Ukrainian clinical partners — surpassing our original half-year target of 33 people. We’re at the equator of this program, and the pace has outrun what we planned for.

That number holds a wide range of lives. Seven of the 48 are children building their futures with new capability years ahead of them; 41 are adults returning to work, families, and routines interrupted by loss. Twenty-seven are veterans of the war; 21 are civilians whose injuries came from it in other ways. Two are living with double amputations — among the most complex cases the program takes on. Behind every one of these numbers is a story like Viktoria’s.

“I want to sincerely thank the people and organizations who care enough to support projects like this,” Viktoria’s mother says. “Because of your faith and support, our children become more confident and independent, with a real chance at an active life.”

“Our work has always been about giving people more than a prosthesis,” said Lidiia Sanyk, Country Lead UA at Esper Bionics. “We believe technology can help people regain the ability to do the things that matter to them. Every person who receives a prosthesis shows us that this idea works in real life.”

“Every person receiving a prosthesis is proof this system works — a stronger, more accessible future for Ukraine, built one person at a time,” said Iryna Gudyma, Project Manager at Razom for Ukraine. “We’re building a system of care that will keep supporting Ukrainians long after the war ends, and help make prosthetic care a standard part of recovery.”

By the end of the year, 65 people will have received their prostheses — each one pursuing what independence looks like for them.

Esper Bionics is a Ukrainian company developing advanced bionic prosthetic solutions designed to restore function, independence, and quality of life for people living with limb loss.