“DETOX with the Unbreakable.” Stories of Strength. Oleksiy Yukhymets

The Aqua Myrgorod team first met Oleksii at the “Veterans Games 2025.” We were immediately struck by his personality: open, cheerful, and always ready for action—even during breaks between competitions, he kept training on the court. Today, Oleksii has become one of the heroes of the “DETOX with the Unbreakable” project, which Aqua Myrgorod is implementing in partnership with the Ministry of Veterans Affairs and the NGO “Zakhyst+” as part of the initiative to integrate veterans into the “Here We Honor Veterans” brand communications.

Oleksiy Yukhymets is an athlete and a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war. He served in the 11th Border Guard Detachment, which held the line in Donetsk Oblast. In 2023, during fighting in Avdiivka, Oleksii was seriously wounded—he lost both arms as a result of an explosion from a shell fired by a hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher.

During rehabilitation, a doctor advised him to try table tennis to improve the mobility of his stumps. “Let’s just strap a racket on and you try playing. As an extra exercise,” Oleksiy recalls the physical therapist saying.

So, a simple bandage, a racket, and his first swings at the ball marked the beginning of a new chapter in his life. Later, Oleksii turned to the Superhumans Center, where he underwent a long process of adaptation—from mechanical prostheses to modern biomechanical arms. It took nine months of persistent work.

Today, biomechanical prostheses help Oleksiy not only in sports but also in everyday life, where he drives a car on his own. He is also convinced that what is most valuable for veterans is humanity, support, and respect. And if you want to help a person with a disability—first, just ask if they need that help.