Russia’s war against Ukraine has significantly accelerated the development of the country’s prosthetics industry. State agencies and affiliated foundations are spending millions of rubles on mechanical arms and legs, including microprocessor-controlled models, while the exact number of Russian servicemen severely maimed at the front remains undisclosed.
According to Labor Ministry data cited by journalists, in 2024 the number of arm prostheses issued rose from 8,200 to 14,500 compared with 2023. Devices for people with missing lower limbs reached 138,000, up from 91,000 a year earlier. The number of wheelchairs provided also increased by 18%.
“Participants in the special military operation allowed us to reach a priority, flagship level,” Deputy Defense Minister Anna Tsivileva, who heads the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation, said in early September at the Eastern Economic Forum.
At the same forum, Tsivileva said the foundation would support the development of prosthetics after osseointegration. The foundation remains one of the main channels of assistance for wounded servicemen: in 2025 alone, it received 25 billion rubles from the federal budget to support participants in the invasion of Ukraine and their families.
Under Russian law, the state is responsible for providing prostheses to disabled people, primarily through the Social Fund of Russia. Servicemen first receive a prosthesis through the Defense Ministry and, after two years, can replace it via the Social Fund. Regional bodies, private organizations and charitable foundations also provide additional support.
Journalists also found multimillion-ruble state contracts for high-tech devices in the procurement database: for example, a microprocessor-controlled thigh prosthesis priced at 4.67 million rubles, a similar prosthesis after hip disarticulation at 5.35 million, and a hand prosthesis at 8.77 million. At the same time, sources told the publication that quality devices are not equally accessible everywhere and that many regions still lack proper rehabilitation after prosthetic fitting.