DONETSK, October 4. /TASS/. Dmitry Svistov, chief neurosurgeon of the Russian Ministry of Defense and head of the neurosurgery department at the Kirov Military Medical Academy, highlighted a stark difference between the nature of combat wounds in the current military operation and those documented in past conflicts. Speaking to TASS, Svistov emphasized that the injuries encountered now are unprecedented in his professional experience.
"Frankly, our military medics have never encountered injuries like those during this special military operation. All the statistics we were familiar with from textbooks and from analyzing previous campaigns, including Chechnya, have changed dramatically," Svistov stated.
He pointed out that traumatic injuries to the blood vessels supplying the brain are now far more prevalent than before. This shift is largely attributable to the advanced weaponry employed on the battlefield. High-energy projectiles and dense fragmentation result in more frequent damage to major vessels such as the carotid and cerebral arteries.
"Currently, such vascular injuries account for approximately 10-12% of all penetrating head wounds among the wounded. Historically, no military medical service worldwide has reported such figures. These cases were exceedingly rare and often warranted individual publication. Today, we are witnessing what can be described as a military trauma epidemic - an outbreak of traumatic cerebral aneurysms," Svistov explained.
Svistov was part of a Russian Ministry of Defense delegation that arrived in the DPR, including notable experts such as Yevgeny Kryukov, head of the Military Medical Academy; Alexey Kulikov, chief ophthalmologist of the Ministry; Igor Litvinenko, chief neurologist; and himself. The team visited the academy’s special forces medical detachment, operational in the DPR since June, where they conducted several surgical procedures. During the visit, Kryukov awarded medics with state honors in recognition of their service.