Ukrainian news, more than 95% of high-performance prosthetics rely on imports, and subsidies for bionic prosthetics manufacturers will be in place in 2026

Vitaly Muzichenko, Director General of the Social Security Fund for Disabled Persons of Ukraine, said that More than 95% of high-functional prosthetics in Ukraine are imported. He also announced that a funding program for bionic prosthetic limb manufacturers will be launched in 2026.

“From a technical point of view, a prosthesis is a product made up of multiple parts connected. When it comes to powerful, high-quality, technologically advanced prostheses... The production of lower limbs and feet in our country is limited. Almost none are equipped with microprocessors High-performance bionic knee joints controlled by sensors, and 99% of these components are imported,” Muzichenko said in an exclusive interview with Interfax Ukraine when answering a question about the current localization rate of prosthetic limb production in Ukraine.

As for the upper limbs, Muzichenko pointed out that there are several domestic bionic hand manufacturers and their development momentum is good. However, the supply of elbow parts is almost zero.

“So we can say that more than 95% of highly functional prostheses are produced by foreign companies,” he said.

According to him, the situation is slightly better for the more common, simpler prosthetics that are controlled by hydraulic and pneumatic systems rather than microprocessors. In fact, there are Ukrainian manufacturers in every field.

“However, I think their market share is somewhere between 10% and 12%, maybe up to 15%. Most of these products are small parts for prosthetics, such as rods, fasteners and pins. So there are huge challenges today in terms of logistics, cooperation with foreign companies and pricing. Unfortunately, due to the war, Ukraine is now one of the largest markets and customers for prosthetics,” Muzichenko noted.

As for the major suppliers of prosthetics and parts, he said that Germany ranks first, followed by Iceland, the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, Poland and Turkey. China’s share is 1%.

When asked about the progress of a funding scheme for manufacturers of bionic prosthetics announced by the Prime Minister in July, the head of the fund said preparations were underway.

Muzichenko said that the plan will include several aspects: the first is to support certain design solutions; the second is to develop feasible prototypes; the third is to solve the scale problem of products that already have some prototypes that can be further improved.

When asked for further clarification, he predicted that the funding program would start in 2026.