Military man with the call sign Aladdin: how 25 operations brought the wounded defender back to life.

According to ТСН: Before the start of the war, Vitaliy Lanovskyi did not know what a pixel was. When mobilization began, he refused two tickets to Paris and decided to stay at home, surprising his wife: on March 2, he stayed overnight at the barracks, becoming a volunteer with the 125th Territorial Defense Brigade of Lviv region.

With the call sign 'Aladdin', Vitaliy quickly learned combat skills alongside other recruits. In a year and a half, he grew from a ticket sales manager to the deputy commander of the combat training company. By August 2022, his brigade was already fighting the enemy in Donetsk region.

On the front line, the 30-year-old man learned to 'draw' digital maps of the terrain, conduct reconnaissance, identify fire points, and analyze combat actions. He was always ready to act, saving the wounded and evacuating fallen comrades.

Severe injury on the front line

On July 9, 2023, near Kreminna, Vitaliy was caught in a battle, where he sustained severe injuries. He received several bullets in the jaw and arms, as well as in his lung.

'I did not feel pain. But I couldn’t speak, breathe, or stop the bleeding – my hands wouldn’t obey. A boy about 20 years old, and already a war veteran. The guys dragged me, they wanted to put me on a stretcher and carry me. But in a lying position, my jaw was falling into my throat and blocking my breath,' said the former soldier.

When they finally reached their own, rescuing him, the driver was speeding so much that the trees were bending, repeating all the time: 'I have to get you out, I must...'

'Because of the bullet in my chest, my lung collapsed. Pneumothorax. Brom, our medic, directly in the car struck a huge needle near my heart and punctured the lung sac. He admitted, 'I did this for the first time'... But it was successful. I started to breathe,' continues Vitaliy.

When they arrived at the hospital, he was put into an artificial coma, and he woke up already in a ward.

Pregnant wife rushed to Dnipro, while her husband remained motionless

Coming to himself in the hospital, Vitaliy saw that one hand had an iron implant, while the other was in a cast.

'I can’t stand up. Speaking and breathing is impossible. I can only blink. The doctor came. With my toe, I 'wrote' my wife’s number in the air. He called her – and she was already halfway to me. Soon to give birth. Eighth month,' recalls Vitaliy.

Treatment in Dnipro lasted almost two years, and Vitaliy underwent 25 operations under anesthesia.

The operations were extremely complicated, part of the bone for jaw reconstruction was taken from his leg. Five surgeons from Lviv were 'stitching' by hand, and the operation lasted 13.5 hours.

Long months of rehabilitation

In the third year after the injury, Vitaliy went to Germany, where he spent another 10 months fixing his hand with the damaged joint. He received an artificial joint, but new problems arose due to an infection.

'I was discharged. I really wanted to go home!' remembers Vitaliy, who sincerely thanks everyone who helped and returns home with his wife and children.

Returning to peaceful life

Upon returning to Lviv, Vitaliy’s life began to stabilize. He decided to go to work, finished customs broker courses, and found his place at the Lviv Customs.

'That’s what my commander Vadim Larin with the call sign 'Advisor' advised. He came to the military from customs, and his colleagues actively helped our brigade,' says Vitaliy.

Now Vitaliy is the chief state inspector of the customs department, and he tries to justify this trust.

In his free time, he deals with household matters: repairing the house, playing with the children, and actively sharing about his village affairs.

'Everyone thought I wouldn’t get on my feet, but I clung to thoughts of my children and wife...,' says Vitaliy, recalling the difficult moments of his life.

The story of Vitaliy Lanovskyi shows how important the support of relatives and volunteers is during treatment and rehabilitation. His journey from a volunteer to a customs inspector proves that even after severe trials, life can get back on track. Vitaliy is now an example of resilience and courage, and his story inspires others in Ukraine.