Russia has become the world’s largest manufacturer of prosthetic limbs, driven by the high number of its soldiers injured during the Ukraine war. Government data indicates a 65% increase in production since 2021, amid independent estimates of thousands of casualties.

On Thursday, Russia announced it had become the world’s largest producer of prosthetic limbs, due to the large number of its soldiers wounded during its military operation in Ukraine. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anna Tsevelyova stated at an economic forum in Vladivostok that returning soldiers from battlefields are a “motivation” for the country to innovate in this field. Tsevelyova, reportedly a relative of President Vladimir Putin, said, “We are probably leaders in this field currently… The participants in the special military operation in Ukraine allowed us to reach such a pioneering level.”

Russian government data showed the country produced 60,000 additional prosthetic limbs in 2024 compared to 2021, an increase of 65%.

Despite Moscow’s efforts to keep the number of Russian military casualties secret, independent estimates suggest the numbers reach hundreds of thousands.

Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that about 700,000 Russian soldiers are involved in military operations in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the BBC network and the independent Mediazona platform documented the deaths of more than 125,000 Russian soldiers since the invasion began three and a half years ago, noting the actual number may be much higher.

The United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have imposed sanctions on Anna Tsevelyova due to her role in the Russian military operation in Ukraine.

London stated she is a cousin of the president, while the EU described her as “a relative” of Putin.