How a double amputee became Ukraine’s most desirable man

When a shell exploded close to Oleksandr Budko, the 26-year-old discovered himself buried alive and in “horrible ache” from accidents that might result in the amputation of each his legs.

The Ukrainian soldier was serving to to defend the north-eastern Kharkiv area from invading Russian forces in August 2022, when his unit was attacked.

Three years on, he’s the star of a actuality TV present wherein a number of ladies battle for his affection.

One advert for the Ukrainian model of hit US sequence The Bachelor exhibits a smartly-dressed Oleksandr staring wistfully at a flower. In one other, he solutions questions in navy fatigues earlier than performing a sequence of pull-ups in a health club.

Speaking to me in a rose backyard in Kyiv, the veteran-turned-celebrity is in good spirits regardless of being drained after a busy week.

Oleksandr says he’s hoping to search out love on the present after breaking apart along with his girlfriend final January – however thinks it is going to be tough to decide on a accomplice with “hundreds of thousands of individuals watching”.

His motivations aren’t simply romantic. He additionally desires to make use of his look on the present to boost consciousness of the challenges dealing with disabled Ukrainians.

“This present is watched by hundreds of thousands of individuals, and it presents an enormous alternative to positively affect their outlook,” he says.

He desires to point out that injured veterans are usually not “outsiders, however full members of society who’re residing a superb life.

“In my case, my life is now even higher than earlier than the battle, higher than earlier than I bought injured.”

Oleksandr is at all times on the go, telling me he spent the earlier evening filming a music video.

His life wasn’t at all times like this. In the years earlier than Russia’s full-scale invasion, he was working as a barista in a Kyiv restaurant whereas learning graphic design.

He says his desires had been “right down to earth”: travelling, discovering the world, and rising professionally. He needed to start out a household.

But Oleksandr’s life was turned the other way up two years in the past, when he turned considered one of lots of of hundreds of Ukrainian males to hitch the military.

In August 2022, he was stationed close to Izyum, an occupied metropolis on the entrance strains of the Russian advance. It was invaded within the early days of the battle and utilized by Russia as a key navy hub to produce its forces from the east.

The metropolis was liberated by Kyiv only a month after Oleksandr was severely injured whereas defending the close by Ukrainian place.

“I felt the earth shift onto me. I felt a horrible ache in my legs and realised that it might imply the amputation of my legs,” he mentioned.

“I screamed from horrific ache and shouted for individuals to listen to me.”

He says he knew his comrades had been alive, and so they dug him out of the bottom and supplied first support. But that’s when he knew his legs had been badly harm.

“I understood that I had misplaced my legs for the time being of harm, two or three seconds after I felt the ache.”

Oleksandr survived however a lot of Izyum was left in ruins. At the time, authorities mentioned that they had discovered greater than 400 our bodies in graves close to the town.

Despite a difficult restoration, Oleksandr was in a position to stroll with prosthetic legs inside six months.

“When I did not have prostheses, I needed to transfer round in a wheelchair. I found how inaccessible and unsuited Kyiv was for wheelchair customers, although it’s the capital metropolis,” he says.

“In the historic previous city you possibly can’t go wherever. You can’t cross the highway by yourself and you’ll’t go inside any constructing as a result of there are stairs in every single place.”

War accidents imply Oleksandr’s expertise is changing into more and more widespread in Ukraine. While there’s no official knowledge recording the variety of individuals injured in the course of the battle, tens of hundreds are estimated to have misplaced limbs.

This has resulted within the creation of a separate actuality present, known as Legs Off – which Oleksandr introduced – capturing the difficulties confronted by disabled individuals as they transfer round Ukrainian cities.

As properly as presenting, the veteran has additionally written a guide, gained medals on the Invictus Games, and carried out with a ballet troupe within the US – all whereas recovering from his accidents.

He’s so widespread in Ukraine that The Bachelor’s software portal crashed shortly after it was introduced Oleksandr would tackle the primary position within the upcoming season.

Producers of The Bachelor are casting the veteran as an emblem of hope.

“Despite his amputations, Oleksandr rides a motorcycle, drives a automobile, and climbs mountains. He lives life to the fullest,” says Natalia Franchuk, from STB, the community on which the present will air later this 12 months.

“If tv is about filming actuality, then who higher might be the star of The Bachelor now? Who else can be higher suited in a rustic at battle?”