Ukrainian boy, eight, severely burned in deadly missile attack on his hometown finds joy in ballroom dancing
A Ukrainian boy who suffered serious burns in a deadly missile attack on his hometown has found joy in ballroom dancing after receiving treatment in Germany.
Eight-year-old Roman Oleksiv suffered devastating burns to 45 percent of his body and shrapnel to his head after Russian missiles hit his hometown of Vinnitsa in central Ukraine.
Medical experts believed his severe injuries would leave him unable to walk or move his arms, but young Roman calmly survived the near-death experience by taking ballroom dancing lessons.
Dressed in a formal shirt and black bow tie, as well as compression garments to help heal extensive scars on his face and arms, the resilient schoolboy returned to his school in Ukraine to show off his moves.
Roman masterfully performed the tango and the Charleston in front of a cheering audience of schoolchildren.
Dressed in a tailored shirt and black bow tie, as well as compression coverings to help heal the extensive scars on his face and arms, Roman and his partner took the stage by storm, forming Charleston and Tango.
The brave eight-year-old boy underwent dozens of skin grafts at a specialist German clinic in a year after the deadly attack that killed 29 people in his hometown, including Roman’s mother.
The strike, described as one of the deadliest attacks on Ukraine since the brutal Russian invasion, struck a boy and his mother as they waited to see a doctor.
His father Yaroslav told Reuters: “We didn’t know if he would be able to walk or move his arm or fingers.”
He added: “But thanks to the work (of the doctors), the work of Roman, his superhuman efforts… all this opened the door for us to return to dancing, to playing musical instruments.”
Roman’s talents lie not only in dancing: the eight-year-old boy also performed a solo on the button accordion, which is a type of accordion.
Roman showed off his grace as he showed off his killer moves with his partner at a school in Ukraine.
A brave schoolboy held his head high as he took his partner onto the dance floor during a performance with other children at his school.
An eight-year-old child wears a compression bandage on his face to help heal injuries he suffered after a devastating Russian missile attack.
Roman was seen looking confident as he took his partner’s hand to masterfully perform a dance routine at his school in Ukraine.
Roman was joined by his classmates, dressed smartly, as he performed in front of a cheerful audience of his peers.
The resilient boy took dance lessons in the face of adversity.
Roman’s proud father holds his son by the waist and looks at the brave eight-year-old boy who found joy in dancing after losing his mother in a Russian missile strike.
Roman’s father, Yaroslav, fist bumps his young son as he inspires his classmates by taking to the dance floor, despite a long road to recovery from devastating injuries.
The student returned to classes and the company of his peers in Ukraine after treatment in a specialized German clinic
Returning to school, Roman actively participates in lessons.
The boy still has a long road to recovery and often travels to the Dresden clinic for further operations.
The strike, which was recorded as one of the deadliest attacks on Ukraine since the brutal Russian invasion, struck a boy and his mother as they waited for a doctor’s appointment.
Roman refuses to go to school, and his father says: “The question is not what he went through, but how he will live from now on.”
A Russian missile attack hit the city of Vinnitsa in central Ukraine, one of the deadliest strikes since the invasion.
The boy still has a long road to recovery and frequently travels to the Dresden clinic for additional operations, including hair implants and surgery to correct ear damage.
His hopeful father said: “I think it’s not a question of what he’s been through, but of how he’s going to live… I hope he continues to grow and develop as strong as he is now.” .
The German government says it has spent around €24bn (£20bn) on arms and humanitarian aid to Ukraine as the devastating Russian invasion approaches the two-year mark.
President Joe Biden warned Wednesday that U.S. troops may have to fight Russian troops if Congress prevents further aid from being sent to Ukraine.
He demanded that lawmakers approve his request for tens of billions of dollars in military and economic aid.