A Printer in the Back Seat
In September 2025, Karol Kras—Mission for Ukraine’s partner and connector on the ground—drove to Dijon, France to pick up a very special delivery: the first Icarus Lite 3D printer purchased by Mission for Ukraine.
The new printer—smaller, lighter and half the cost of the original Icarus—was carefully loaded into Karol’s old car. Then he began a multi-day road trip across Europe and into Ukraine, stopping in Lviv and Kyiv before finally delivering the printer to the state prosthetics clinic in Vinnytsia.
It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t fast. But it was exactly the kind of agile, hands-on work that defines Mission for Ukraine.
Why the Icarus Lite Changes Everything
The original Icarus 3D printer we shipped to Uzhhorod in 2024 was groundbreaking. But at a cost of over CHF 50’000 and significant size/weight, scaling the technology across Ukraine was going to be slow.
Enter the Icarus Lite: a new model developed by Proteor that costs CHF 25’000—half the price—and is half the size and weight. It prints prosthetic sockets just as fast and just as well.
This changes everything. With the Lite model, Mission for Ukraine can afford to place twice as many printers in Ukrainian hospitals and clinics.
The Vision: 3D Prosthetics Across Ukraine
By the end of 2025, Mission for Ukraine aims to have placed six Icarus Lite printers across Ukraine. The first three are already in place:
- Uzhhorod (TRCH) – the original pilot site
Vinnytsia – state prosthetics institution Lviv (UNBROKEN) – world-class prosthetics clinic (coming in December 2025)
Three more are planned for hospitals and clinics in Kyiv, Ternopil and other regions.
Each printer comes with:
- CHF 5’000 worth of equipment and supplies (donated by Proteor)
One week of training for prosthetic clinicians Access to Proteor’s advanced 3D-printing software
The Vinnytsia Clinic
The Vinnytsia prosthetics clinic is a state-run institution serving a large region in central Ukraine. Before the Icarus Lite arrived, the clinic used traditional plaster-mould methods—slow, expensive and uncomfortable for patients.
Now, with 3D printing technology, the clinic can:
- Scan an amputee’s limb with an iPhone
Print a custom socket in 2 hours Fit the patient and send them home walking the same day
For amputees who’ve waited weeks or months for a prosthetic, this is life-changing.
Heart & Art Ukraine: A New Partner in Switzerland
As SolNest opened and the first Icarus Lite printer was delivered, another major milestone was reached: Heart & Art Ukraine was officially established as a foundation in Switzerland.
Founded by Majo Humer and Corinne Hoss-Blatter in Zurich, Heart & Art will solicit donations in Switzerland and across Europe to fund Mission for Ukraine’s art therapy, trauma care and community programmes.
Their website is live: https://heart-art-ukraine.com
This partnership is crucial. It allows Mission for Ukraine to expand beyond emergency aid into sustainable, long-term programmes—while sharing the fundraising and administrative work with trusted partners in Europe.
What’s Next
The road trip from France to Vinnytsia was just the beginning. Over the next six months, Mission for Ukraine will:
- Place Icarus Lite printers in Lviv (UNBROKEN), Kyiv and Ternopil
Train dozens more Ukrainian prosthetists in 3D printing technology Expand partnerships with Proteor, Invent Medical and Ukrainian hospitals Continue funding SolNest, Love Does School and trauma care programmes in Poland
This is what agility looks like. This is what standing with Ukraine for the long haul means.