Girl injured in Russian attack on Kherson playground discharged from hospital, already learning to walk
A girl severely injured in a May Russian strike on a playground in Kherson has been discharged from hospital and is beginning rehabilitation. Her father was killed in the attack, while her mother remains under treatment.
Viktoriia, a young girl seriously injured in a Russian attack on a children's playground in Kherson in May, has been discharged from hospital and has started walking on her own. The charity Mama i Nemovlia (Mother and Baby), which supports the family in Kyiv, reported on her recovery.
On 27 May, Viktoriia's family — her mother, father and two daughters — were at a playground when Russia struck Kherson. Her father was killed at the scene, while her mother was severely wounded and taken to intensive care. Viktoriia herself suffered a severe brain injury along with multiple shrapnel wounds.
She received initial treatment in Kherson before being transferred to Mykolaiv the next day for surgery, after which she remained unconscious for about a week. She was later moved to Kyiv, where her condition stayed critical for some time.
A difficult recovery
Alla Melnychuk, founder of Mama i Nemovlia, said doctors initially could not be certain whether Viktoriia would regain consciousness or retain her motor functions. A multidisciplinary medical team — including neurosurgeons, intensive care specialists, traumatologists and ophthalmologists — treated her. She underwent three complex brain operations, including one to fit a plate reconstructing damaged skull structures.
One wound proved especially severe: a piece of shrapnel entered through the eye area and lodged deep in her brain, ultimately making it impossible for doctors to save the eye. Alongside neurosurgical care, Viktoriia also had surgery on her leg, which is still healing though its function has been preserved.
Viktoriia is now fully conscious, speaking and responding to those around her. Melnychuk noted that being discharged is not the end of treatment — the next goal is to help her achieve the fullest possible recovery and return to an ordinary childhood.
Viktoriia's family, along with their dog, has relocated to Kyiv and is living at a social centre run by the charity. Her aunt Anna said Viktoriia is gradually recovering in a family setting, putting increasing weight on her injured leg and beginning to walk independently. Fitting her eye prosthesis is planned for the near future. Meanwhile, Viktoriia's mother continues treatment and is being prepared for surgery on her leg.
