Soldier who cannot walk without a cane is considered healthy and sent to assaults

Anton Simonenko, a 41-year-old resident of the Krasnoyarsk region, signed a contract and went to war in Ukraine in 2023 without receiving a medical category after passing the Military Medical Commission. He is currently serving in Military Unit 42600 in the Donetsk region.

The man suffers from common psoriasis. In 2025, he began to experience joint complications at the front, which forced Simonenko to walk with a cane, his wife Tatyana told ASTRA.

“He has all the necessary documents for a medical examination, but they won’t send him to the hospital. Every time, they find some excuse: they can’t put a stamp, there’s no comma, the documents have the wrong date, or they don’t like his illness,” says the soldier’s wife.

According to her, Simonenko had already been treated at a local military hospital, but they didn’t have the necessary qualifications to determine his health category, so he was sent to a hospital in Novosibirsk for treatment. However, the military unit claims that the documents are fake and that Simonenko is healthy and will continue to serve.

“The chief medical officer says that their doctor will provide a conclusion soon that my husband is healthy and can return to active duty, and he won’t be sent to any hospital. This unit has its own authority. There’s complete lawlessness there! And my husband isn’t the only one — there are a lot of guys who can’t even walk. Their chief medical officer sends them back into action. He says your documents don’t mean anything. The guys leave without waiting for help and go to the front line!” says Tatiana.