CNN  —  Valera Kucherenko had already served a term in the Ukrainian army when Russia invaded in 2022. But he joined back up and, on a fateful October night in 2023, lost both hands in a grenade attack. It’s a story that’s all too common for Ukrainian soldiers. Since the start of the war, an estimated 20,000 Ukrainians have lost limbs. Such injuries typically end military careers, but advancements in bionics are enabling some veterans to resume what they see as their duty. “For me, prosthetics were made in such a way that I’m returning back to the army,” Kucherenko told CNN. Kucherenko was fitted with two bionic hands that are new to the market. The Esper Hand is the first product from Esper Bionics, a Ukrainian-US based company focused on next-generation prosthetics. Artificial Intelligence is disrupting many industries, but it is also offering up unprecedented solutions. In the field of bionic prosthetics, AI or machine learning can help patients who’ve lost limbs regain functions – and perhaps even gain functions they didn’t originally have with human limbs. At least that’s the hope of those at Esper. “I think AI will be the next step in bionics,” says Dima Gazda, CEO of Esper Bionics. Gazda, a physician and engineer from Ukraine, worked with his team for several years to perfect the Esper Hand and says their systems have been “built for AI since day one.” In this bionic hand, AI helps the prosthetic quickly learn its user’s behavior and choose hand grips the user will need. “If I take cup from a table several times, tomorrow, the system will understand,” says Gazda. The AI-empowered hand can also detect muscle activity. It’s not just AI that is helping users regain their functions quicker. Bionic prosthetics are also being built more precisely to mimic human limbs. The Esper Hand has 6 different motors – one for each finger and two for the thumb. This allows each finger to move separately. According to Esper Bionics, 70 Ukrainian soldiers are currently serving with Esper Hands, but the need greatly outnumbers the supply. Esper says there are currently around 170 people on the waitlist. With the fighting in Ukraine continuing every day, the number of those in need will continue to climb.