German Companies Dramatically Increase Prosthetics Supply to Russia

Due to the large number of amputations among Russian wounded, Russia plans to spend more than 2.5 times more on prosthetics in 2026 than in 2022. At the same time, about half of the prostheses will have to be imported, including from Germany.

DW reported this news.

According to the DW, the exact number of Russians fighting against Ukraine who lost their arms or legs at the frontlines is unknown. Until September 2023, the data was submitted to the Federal Register of Persons with Disabilities of the Ministry of Health, then the information was classified.

According to the data of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation, which was studied by the publication, in 2024, Russians with disabilities received 152,500 prostheses from the state (138,000 lower limb prostheses and 14,500 upper limb prostheses). For comparison, in 2023, 99,200 prostheses were issued, and before the invasion, 80-90,000 were issued annually.

According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), by the end of 2024, 611,000 Russian military personnel had been injured, of whom 376,000 were disabled.

At the end of 2023, Russian Deputy Labor Minister Alexei Vovchenko admitted that more than half of the wounded undergo amputation. In 80% of cases, it is an amputation of the lower limbs, in 20% of the upper limbs.

“About 54% of all the wounded are recognized as disabled with amputation, so this is a very acute problem, it’s a lot. Among civilians with disabilities, we do not have such a percentage of amputees,“ said Vovchenko at a roundtable discussion at the Federation Council on the comprehensive rehabilitation of the participants of the ”Special Military Operation”.

The federal budget for 2026 allocates more than 98 billion rubles for the purchase of “technical rehabilitation equipment.” At the same time, only 33 billion rubles were allocated in 2020-2021. In 2022, spending amounted to about 37 billion rubles, in 2023 – 42 billion, and in 2024 – almost 56 billion.

According to Steplife, which is one of the largest manufacturers in the Russian Federation, in 2022-2024, sales of Russian companies grew by an average of 49% annually in monetary terms. The market is dominated by three manufacturers: Steplife, Motorika, and Rostec.

Imports

Despite high growth rates, Russian companies cover only about half of the total demand. In the high-tech segment, their share is even lower, as a significant portion of the most advanced prostheses are imported.

German companies, among others, continue to supply prosthetics to Russia. In 2024, deliveries in the product group “Prostheses and other prosthetic devices” amounted to 47.8 million euros, in 2023 and 2022 – about 25 million euros per each year. In physical terms, the volume also almost doubled: from 50 tons in 2023 and 2022 to more than 100 tons in 2024.

In 2025, the growth continued. In the first nine months, exports of prostheses and other prosthetic products from Germany to Russia are estimated to have been worth €53 million.

Prior to the full-scale invasion, Russia imported 15-20 million euros worth of prostheses and related products from Germany per year. In physical terms, deliveries ranged from 60 to 75 tons per year.

German companies that have not curtailed their business in Russia face criticism. In response, they claim that they do not participate in tenders of the Russian Ministry of Defense and do not supply products to military hospitals.

As a reminder, in August 2025, the Human Titans Prosthetic Center, built with the support of Berlin, was opened in Kyiv on the basis of a city hospital.