Support for Veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian War: Experience of Small Communities

As of the end of May this year, the State Register of Veterans contains data on 1.2 million people. According to various estimates, and depending on when the Russian-Ukrainian war ends, the number of these people may reach 4-6 million. And most of them, of course, will be people who have been through the hell of war. Also, the number of people with disabilities in Ukraine during the full-scale Russian invasion has increased by 300 thousand, UNN writes.

These dry statistics once again confirm the fact that veteran policy in Ukraine should be a priority for the state for many years to come. 

Historical examples from many post-war periods show that many people in uniform later find it difficult to return to their normal peaceful life. These people need medical rehabilitation and psychological support. Some of them do not even know how to apply for combatant status or disability, so they need legal assistance. And most importantly, these people need to be provided with basic needs: they need a job or stable financial support and housing. 

According to the relevant ministry, 70% of veterans had official employment before mobilization, and more than half of them will need to find work after returning to civilian life. At the same time, the Ukrainian Veterans Fund previously announced that at the beginning of this year the number of unemployed veterans increased to almost 31%. 

According to a survey conducted by the same Foundation, more than 29% of Ukrainian veterans need their own housing, and 26.5% need to improve their living conditions. 

Of course, these are all serious challenges for the state. This year, the state budget allocated more than UAH 14 billion for veterans' policy. The Ministry of Veterans believes that this figure is as close as possible to the real needs. However, much depends on how effectively these funds are used and how well the veteran policy is implemented at the local level. 

"As the veterans themselves say, they do not want handouts from the state, they want to be active, full-fledged members of society. That is, to work and earn money. And this is the task of both the state and business to create jobs and conditions for work, including for people with disabilities.

Local authorities help, but depending on funding. For example, if we talk about powerful amalgamated communities, such as Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and Kyiv , they have more resources. And when it comes to rural communities, there are not always service centers. If the state guarantees in the Constitution, and this is in the laws today, then the state must guarantee by this law, regardless of where the veteran lives, that there is equal access to benefits and living conditions, employment, etc.", said Mykhailo Tsymbalyuk, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Social Policy and Protection of Veterans' Rights, in a commentary to UNN.

At the same time, even not very large communities still have resources to ensure that veterans do not feel left behind. For example, a veterans' hub will be opened in the Brovary community in the coming days, which will become a kind of service center and an additional tool to support these people. 

"Most often, veterans come to us for housing. If people need to improve their living conditions, they are registered. This year, as part of the relevant state program, Brovary City Council received UAH 39 million in subventions from the state budget for housing for disabled veterans.

There is a great need for physical rehabilitation of veterans. For this purpose, we provide free access to two swimming pools. One of them is equipped with a special lift and can be used by veterans who cannot move due to injuries. As for the employment of veterans, we have 15 people on the waiting list for the professional adaptation program. Such a small number of people is due to the fact that a significant number of veterans, people who were wounded in the war, are still officially considered military personnel," Maryna Kislitsyna, head of the Veterans Policy Department of the Social Protection Department of the Brovary City Council, told UNN in a commentary .

The mayor of Brovary, Ihor Sapozhko, notes that the city council has a clear understanding that veterans' policy is, in fact, a key area of its work.

"Now in our community there are up to two thousand veterans, 278 of whom are people with disabilities. And no matter how much we want it, the number of these people will unfortunately grow as the war continues. They need psychological and physical rehabilitation, some need help with work and housing. We face these issues here on the ground every day. And, of course, in order to solve them, we need to have relevant government programs in place and adequate funding. For our part, we also allocate certain funds to support veterans and simplify the procedures for solving urgent issues. After all, these people defended our land with weapons in their hands, and they should be given due respect," Ihor Sapozhko told UNN.