Ukrainian boy, eight, severely burned in deadly missile attack on his hometown finds joy in ballroom dancing

•  Roman Oleksiv, eight, suffered devastating burns to 45 per cent of his body

A Ukrainian boy who was severely burned in a deadly missile attack on his hometown has found joy in ballroom dancing, after receiving treatment in Germany. 

Roman Oleksiv, eight, suffered devastating burns to 45 per cent of his body and shrapnel in his head after Russian missiles struck his hometown of Vinnytsia, in central Ukraine.

Medical experts thought the severe injuries would render him unable to walk or move his hands, but young Roman has taken the near-death experience in his stride by taking ballroom dancing lessons. 

Dressed in a formal shirt and a black bow-tie, as well compression coverings to help heal the extensive scars over his face and hands, the resilient schoolboy returned to his school in Ukraine to show off his moves. 

Roman masterfully executed the tango and Charleston to an audience of schoolchildren cheering in support. 

Dressed in a formal shirt and a black bow-tie, as well compression coverings to help heal the extensive scars over his face and hands, Roman and his partner took the stage by storm as they formed the Charleston and tango

The brave eight-year-old has undergone dozens of operations over a year for skin grafts at a specialist German clinic, following the deadly attack which killed 29 people in his hometown, including Roman’s mother. 

The strike, which was recorded as one of the deadliest attacks on Ukraine since the brutal Russian invasion, struck the boy and his mother as they waited to see a doctor. 

His father, Yaroslav, told Reuters: ‘We did not know whether he would be able to walk, move his hand or his fingers’

He added: ‘But thanks to [the medics’] work, to Roman’s work, his superhuman efforts…all this opened the door for us to return to dancing, to playing musical instruments.’

Roman’s talents don’t just lie in dancing, as the eight-year-old also performed a solo on the bayan, which is a type of accordion.  

Roman demonstrated his grace as he showed off his killer moves with his partner at a school in Ukraine

The brave school boy held his head high as he took his partner on to the dancefloor during a performance with other children at his school

The eight-year-old wears a compression covering over his face to help heal the injuries he sustained following a devastating Russian missile attack

Roman was seen looking confident as he took his partner by the hand to expertly perform a dance routine at his school in Ukraine

Roman was joined by his classmates, dressed smartly, as he performed to a cheerign audience of his peers

The resilient young boy has been taking dance lessons in the face of adversity

Roman’s proud father hold his son by the waist as he looks up at the brave eight-year-old who has found joy in dancing after losing his mother in a Russian missile strike

Roman’s father Yaroslav fist-bumps his young son as he inspires his classmates by taking to the dancefloor, despite his long road to recovery for his devastating injuries

The schoolboy has returned to classes and the company of his peers in Ukraine after receiving treatment in a specialist German clinic

Returning to school, Roman can be seen actively participating in class

The young boy is still facing a long road to recovery, making frequent trips to a clinic is Dresden for more surgeries

The strike, which was recorded as one of the deadliest attacks on Ukraine since the brutal Russian invasion, struck the boy and his mother as they waited to see a doctor

Roman knuckles down on his schoolwork as his father says ‘the question is not what he has gone through but how he will go on’

A Russian Missile attack struck the town of Vinnytsia, in central Ukraine, in one of the deadliest attacks since the invasion

The young boy is still facing a long road to recovery, making frequent trips to a clinic is Dresden for more surgeries, which include hair implants and operations to fix damage to his ear. 

His hopeful father said:  ‘I think the question is not what he has gone through but how he will go on…I hope that he will continue with the same strength as now to grow, to develop himself.’

The German government says it has spent around €24 billion (£20 billion) in weapons and humanitarian aid for Ukraine as the devastating Russian invasion approaches its two-year mark.

President Joe Biden on Wednesday warned that American troops could have to fight Russian forces if Congress prevents further aid being sent to Ukraine.

He demanded that lawmakers approve his request for tens of billions in military and economic assistance.

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