Description

On August 2014, 34-year-old Nelya Leonidova was badly wounded by a cluster munition attack while picking up her son and a neighbor's kid from a kindergarten in Zugres, eastern Ukraine. As submunitions exploded close to a local park, Leonidova covered the kids with her body, taking most of the impact. The injuries she received—massive craniofacial trauma, thoracic and abdominal injuries—were originally considered fatal. Incorrectly routed to a morgue, she came to and received extensive emergency surgery, including 18 fragment excisions and major reconstructive work. Her permanent injuries are the loss of an eye, damaged vision, and titanium implant permanent facial reconstruction. Leonidova's case illustrates the devastating humanitarian effect of explosive weapons in urban areas and the long-term impact on civilian survivors. Following the 2022 conflict escalation, she was once again displaced, moving her family to Kolomyia. In addition to the physical wounds, she experiences chronic pain, reduced mobility, and major psychological issues. Her experience with standard psychological therapy identified glaring gaps in the care for survivors of severe combat trauma. The meager financial assistance accorded internally displaced individuals further heightened her family's post-conflict vulnerabilities, which led them to depend on humanitarian assistance to sustain basic needs. Her case highlights the imperative for greater international action to prohibit the use of cluster bombs and provide more adequate long-term assistance to civilian victims. Recommendations are to invest in specialized trauma-informed psychological treatment, enhance financial aid schemes for displaced and disabled civilians, and impose global prohibitions against the use of indiscriminate weaponry to avoid repeating such tragedies in the future.