Photo/Illutration Ukrainian veteran amputee Roman Kashpur competes in the Tokyo Marathon on March 3. (Wataru Sekita)

Two Ukrainian veterans wounded in combat competed in the Tokyo Marathon to raise funds for medical treatment for a fellow soldier who was injured in the ongoing conflict with Russia.

Roman Kashpur, 27, and Yurii Kozlovskyi, 41, crossed the finish line near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on March 3, completing their fourth and first full marathon, respectively.

Kashpur enlisted in the Ukrainian army in 2016, two years after Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

He lost the lower part of his right leg in a land mine explosion in 2019 while on duty in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region.

Undeterred, he continued serving in the army, training other soldiers while also preparing for marathons.

He competed in the London Marathon last April.

Kashpur said the course and spectators along the way were wonderful and that he was particularly impressed by the people who cheered him on in Ukrainian, saying, “Glory to Ukraine.”

He expressed his gratitude to Japan for its medical and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, adding that he hoped to return to Tokyo for another race.

Kozlovskyi lost the lower part of his left leg in 2016 when a Russian grenade trap exploded in the Donetsk region.

Though not previously interested in sports, Kozlovskyi began running after his injury, hoping the exercise would improve his mobility.

He said running has gradually helped him mentally recover from his wounds.

At the Tokyo Marathon, he reached the time limit just before he made it to the 30-kilometer mark.

However, he continued the race on the sidewalks to complete his first full marathon.

The two runners participated in the race to raise funds for Denys Dosuzhyi, a fellow soldier who sustained a spinal injury in February last year during combat in eastern Ukraine’s Luhansk region. 

Donations can be made at https://www.kraiany.org/ja/denys-dosuzhy.html.

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