Hero of Russia Maxim Sholomov, who lost both arms, gets a donor arm transplant

Lieutenant colonel Maxim Sholomov, a Hero of Russia who lost both arms in combat, has had a donor arm transplanted. According to informed sources, the operation took place in March 2026 and was the first of its kind in the country.

What happened?

Surgeons at the Sklifosovsky Institute (Moscow's leading emergency medicine hospital) carried out the operation. Sholomov became the first person in Russia to receive a transplant above the elbow.

The surgery reportedly lasted more than 20 hours. Alongside Russian doctors, specialists from Guangxi University in China took part.

The institute has not announced the operation officially, and Sholomov himself declined to comment.

How is he doing now?

One source close to Sholomov says the nerve is now growing back. He has already started to feel warmth in his fingers.

"He works out a lot, trains, and is very positive," another source said.

Earlier, Anastasia Rakova, Moscow's deputy mayor for social development, said two hand transplants had been carried out in the capital. One patient received a single hand, the other two. Both transplants took.

Who is Maxim Sholomov?

Sholomov was born in Chebarkul in the Chelyabinsk region and now lives in Yekaterinburg. He was awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation in 2023.

His unit held an important settlement in Luhansk region, at a crossroads of strategic roads, for a week. They repelled Ukrainian attacks two or three times a day. Thanks to his actions, the unit kept its positions.

In the fighting he lost his left arm to a grenade launcher shot, but stayed in action. Later a grenade hit his infantry fighting vehicle, and severe burns cost him his right arm. Even then, he managed to save a fellow soldier.

What's next?

For now, the recovery continues. Nerve regrowth is slow, so the coming months of training will show how much function returns.