Curious about what Ukraine's future could look like after the war? Dive into this video for a deep, eye-opening look at the challenges and solutions for veteran reintegration—from health to jobs to family life. It's not just about policies, it's about real people! Watch, get inspired, and help us reach 200k subscribers—hit that button and tell us in the comments what stood out most to you! #Ukraine #veterans #policy #recovery #future
👉 This channel was created in collaboration with https://www.youtube.com/@costua
0:00 - Ukraine's Post-War Veteran Challenge
3:43 - Gaps in Ukraine's Veteran Support System
11:50 - International Models and Key Lessons
22:45 - Family as a Pillar of Veteran Support
31:41 - Economic Reintegration and Employment
42:41 - Funding, Delays, and the Cost of Inaction
48:47 - Toward a Ukrainian Model for Veterans
We're now available on Spotify! Listen now https://open.spotify.com/show/033ygZMll1PIfydayeyRct
👉 This channel was created in collaboration with https://www.youtube.com/@costua
0:00 - Ukraine's Post-War Veteran Challenge
3:43 - Gaps in Ukraine's Veteran Support System
11:50 - International Models and Key Lessons
22:45 - Family as a Pillar of Veteran Support
31:41 - Economic Reintegration and Employment
42:41 - Funding, Delays, and the Cost of Inaction
48:47 - Toward a Ukrainian Model for Veterans
We're now available on Spotify! Listen now https://open.spotify.com/show/033ygZMll1PIfydayeyRct
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NewsTranscript
00:00Imagine Ukraine after the war. Millions of people returning from the front line.
00:04Some with injuries. Some with psychological trauma.
00:08Some with a new profession and a desire to start life afresh.
00:12And alongside them, the very fabric of Ukrainian society is changing.
00:17Today, Ukraine already has around 1.3 to 1.5 million people
00:21with legal status as participants in combat operations or war veterans.
00:25That accounts for 4 to 5 percent of the population in the government-controlled territory.
00:31According to government estimates, after the war ends,
00:34veterans and their family members could make up 5 to 6 million people,
00:38which is roughly 16 to 21 percent of the population.
00:42According to a broader estimate based on the World Economic Outlook,
00:46after the active phase of the war ends,
00:49the projected population in Ukraine will be up to 34 million people in 2030.
00:55And the number of former military personnel and their family members
00:58could reach up to 9 million, or 26.5 percent, of the population.
01:05That is, roughly 1 in 4 Ukrainians directly connected to the wartime period will need recovery.
01:12And what will happen if Ukraine learns to treat the veteran
01:15but does not learn to return him to civilian life?
01:18Because rehabilitation doesn't end when a person has received treatment for their wounds.
01:24These people must live independently, work, provide for their families,
01:29access necessary services, and feel like fully-fledged members of society.
01:33And that is precisely where Ukraine is already facing a problem.
01:37Our veteran support system remains fragmented.
01:40Medical care exists separately, social services separately,
01:43employment separately, and education and psychological support are in yet other systems.
01:49On paper, you can map out a route from this.
01:52But who will guide a person along this path?
01:54Who will pass the information from the doctor to the social worker?
01:58Who will help with the transition from rehabilitation to work?
02:01Who will see that the issue is no longer medical but economic or family-related?
02:06Today, there is no clear answer to this.
02:08And it's not just an administrative problem.
02:10If millions of veterans and their family members fall through the cracks
02:13between separate institutions, services, and programs,
02:17Ukraine won't achieve reintegration,
02:19but rather a system of perpetually patching up the consequences of war.
02:24Loss of ability to work, prolonged unemployment, psychological challenges,
02:29family poverty, and dependence on state aid could turn into a long-term economic crisis.
02:34And this is no longer just a question of social policy,
02:37but of economic recovery, the labor market, demographics, and the future of the country.
02:42So in this video, we'll break down what the post-war veteran rehabilitation system should look like
02:48from medical and psychological recovery to employment, income, support,
02:52and reintegrating former service members into a full life.
02:55Guys, we have an ambitious goal to reach, 200,000 subscribers, on the channel by the end of 2026.
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03:43Ukraine has strategies.
03:44But does it have a system?
03:46At first glance, everything looks pretty good with veteran policy in Ukraine.
03:50At the end of 2024, the government approved two key strategies at once.
03:57The first defines veteran policy through 2030 and an operational action plan for its implementation from 2024 to 2027.
04:06The second is intended to establish a system for transitioning from military service to civilian life through 2033.
04:12The reform of the transition from military service to civilian life is also envisioned in Ukraine's plan for the Ukraine
04:18facility.
04:19Former Minister of Veterans Affairs Natalia Kalmikova emphasized that implementing the strategy should strengthen national resilience and security
04:27and bring Ukraine closer to the standards of European Union and NATO member states.
04:31The documents cover nearly everything that should be in a modern system.
04:35Medical and psychological support, rehabilitation, education, career transition support, employment, entrepreneurship, housing, social integration, and family support.
04:45In other words, everything needed for veterans' recovery has been defined.
04:49But who is responsible for ensuring that all of this comes together in practice is unknown.
04:54Let's imagine a veteran being discharged from military service.
04:58He might need rehabilitation, psychological assistance, social services, retraining, housing, a job.
05:04For the state, these are five or six different areas handled by different institutions.
05:10For the veteran himself, these are not separate elements, but a single problem.
05:14How do you get back to normal life?
05:17The strategy set goals and objectives, but failed to create a comprehensive, mandatory pathway for a person to follow
05:23from preparing for discharge from military service to sustainable integration into civilian life.
05:28The operational plan outlines specific measures, timelines, responsible parties, and indicators.
05:34However, responsibility is fragmented among individual initiatives and agencies,
05:38and no entity is designated as responsible not just for executing a specific line item of the plan,
05:43but for the end result for the individual.
05:45Was their problem identified in a timely manner?
05:48Did they transition without any loss of information from the military to the civilian system?
05:52Did they receive interconnected support, medical, social, psychological, housing, educational, and economic services?
05:59And most importantly, were they able to become economically and socially independent again?
06:04There is no clear answer to this.
06:06And this is especially revealing against the backdrop of the sheer scale of regulatory control.
06:10According to estimates by the Research Service of the Verkhovna Rada,
06:14In 2025, veteran policy was regulated by over 20 laws, 13 presidential decrees, and more than 30 other bylaws.
06:22It would seem there are plenty of rules.
06:25Yet in Ukraine, you can pass dozens of documents defining veterans' rights,
06:29and still lack a unified mechanism to guide them through the entire system.
06:33Moreover, the state itself practically acknowledged that the return strategy was merely a framework for a future system.
06:40As early as January 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers' Reforms Office noted that a relevant bill had yet to be
06:48developed on its basis.
06:49It was envisioned that the law itself would define the beginning, duration, and conclusion of an individual's participation in the
06:56system,
06:56as well as the coordination mechanisms for its participants.
06:59As of July 2026, no such finalized legislative mechanism exists.
07:04Government bills, 13,696 and 14,265, which were supposed to establish this, were withdrawn,
07:15while Alternative Draft Code 14,265-1 remains under review by the Parliamentary Committee.
07:21The 2026 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development explicitly stated that an integrated system
07:29for transitioning from military service to civilian life does not yet exist in Ukraine.
07:33Training, career transition support, employment services, entrepreneurship, healthcare, and social support
07:39are divided among multiple agencies.
07:41In other words, this key issue has not yet been resolved.
07:44Where does one area of responsibility end and another begin?
07:47Who hands the veteran over to the next agency?
07:50And who takes responsibility for this transition?
07:53In June 2024, the Laboratory of Legislative Initiatives stated that,
07:58despite the adoption of strategies, state and local programs risk operating in isolation from one another.
08:04Among the necessary but still not formally established areas are the assessment of needs prior to discharge,
08:09the procedure for interaction between the security and defense sector and civilian authorities,
08:14continuity of access to services, minimum support standards in communities,
08:18and evaluating policies based on real outcomes for veterans, rather than merely on completed measures.
08:24And this is no longer just a matter of legislative technique.
08:28Studies at the community level show that this gap turns into a very practical problem.
08:34A report by the Right to Protection Charitable Foundation revealed fragmented policy implementation,
08:40a lack of data on veterans, and limited funding across five regions,
08:44a shortage of specialists, and poor communication with military units, enlistment offices, and other government agencies.
08:52Some communities continue to operate under their own programs,
08:55which were approved even before the new state strategy was introduced.
08:59The practice of redirecting people from one institution to another persisted,
09:03with civil society organizations and support specialists effectively bridging the gaps in state coordination.
09:10These findings cannot be automatically applied to all communities across Ukraine.
09:14Yet, they clearly demonstrate the mechanism through which framework ambiguity
09:19turns into unequal access to support depending on where veterans live.
09:24As a result, veterans find themselves trapped in the classic Ukrainian cycle
09:29of bureaucratic wandering from one agency to another.
09:32This flaw is most apparent in cases where a person's needs span multiple areas at once.
09:37A study by principle on long-term care for veterans conducted in 2026
09:42showed that the medical and social systems effectively continue to exist in parallel.
09:48The procedure for transferring a person, their information,
09:50and responsibility between service providers is not institutionally established.
09:55Therefore, after discharge from a facility,
09:57the coordination between the hospital, social services, the community,
10:01and non-governmental service providers often falls on the veteran or their family.
10:05A coalition of non-governmental organizations,
10:08Veteran Hub, Princip, Legal 100, and Space of Opportunities,
10:12has prepared an updated concept of state policy regarding male and female veterans,
10:16in which they emphasize that the adoption of strategic documents does not by itself bring about change.
10:22The main flaw of the strategies lies in the gap between the goals and the mechanism for achieving them.
10:27The strategies clearly describe the components the support should have,
10:31but they fail to adequately define how these components are supposed to function as a unified system.
10:36Because of this, the state can formally carry out individual measures of operational plans,
10:41while the veteran will continue to independently piece together disconnected services.
10:45Instead, what is needed is proper funding, coordination, service standards, oversight and enforcement,
10:51and a central role for the Ministry of Veterans Affairs in ensuring that policy is systemic.
10:56Ukraine has already begun to build its veteran policy,
10:59but so far it looks more like a collection of separate parts than an assembled mechanism.
11:04We know what services are needed, we have strategies, we have programs,
11:08but we still lack the main element,
11:10someone who is responsible not for the service, but for the person.
11:14And as long as this doesn't exist, the outcome may depend not only on the veteran's needs,
11:19but also on where he lives, how capable his community is, and whether he has a supportive family.
11:25And whether an organization or specialist is nearby to help bring the system together?
11:30And for a country where, after the war, veterans and their family members could number in the millions,
11:35such dependence on chance ceases to be just a social problem.
11:39It becomes a risk of losing human capital, decreasing economic activity among veterans,
11:45increasing social isolation, and driving up the future burden on the social support system.
11:54There is one fundamental difference between Ukraine and other countries with developed veteran support systems.
12:00For example, the U.S. and the U.K. built their veteran systems over generations.
12:04Every year, a relatively stable number of service members transition to civilian life,
12:08around 200,000 in the U.S. and 13,000 to 16,000 in the U.K.
12:14Ukraine, however, may end up with millions of veterans after the war, and in a significantly shorter period of time.
12:20And the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development describes the future scale of such reintegration
12:26as unprecedented for member countries in modern history.
12:29And this means that simply copying someone else's model won't work.
12:34However, it's worth looking at how it is integrated into state policy.
12:38The American experience shows how to support a veteran through nearly their entire post-service journey.
12:42The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs brings under one roof a health care system,
12:48the Veterans Health Administration, Benefits Administration, Education, Insurance, and Home Loans,
12:54as well as a network of regional offices across the states.
12:57The Veterans Health Care System comprises over 1,700 facilities with access and co-pay levels depending on income,
13:05combat experience, service-connected disabilities, and an assigned priority group.
13:10For Ukraine, what is particularly interesting isn't even the scale of this system,
13:15but what happens even before service members are discharged.
13:19In the U.S., the Transition Assistance Program, or TAP, provides service members with modular training prior to discharge,
13:28informing them about their rights and helping them create a financial and individual transition plan.
13:33And the Skill Bridge Program allows service members to complete civilian internships or job training during their last 180 days
13:41of service.
13:43The second, equally valuable tool is the VA Solid Start Program,
13:47where the government doesn't wait for the person to figure out the available programs on their own.
13:51Instead, it tries to reach out to every discharged service member at least three times during the first year,
13:57around 90, 180, and 365 days, and connect them with the services they need.
14:03The British model stands in stark contrast to the Ukrainian issue of running from one government office to another.
14:09The U.K.'s updated veteran strategy is based on the assumption that most veterans are capable of successfully transitioning back
14:16to civilian life on their own.
14:18Therefore, the state does not attempt to support everyone with equal intensity,
14:22but instead concentrates resources on those who truly need help.
14:25This logic is to be reinforced by the Valor Program, uniting local centers, field coordinators, and the central office under
14:33the no-wrong-door principle,
14:35meaning there is no wrong door to enter.
14:38A veteran does not need to know which specific government agency is responsible for their problem.
14:42Wherever he turns for the first time, the system itself must identify his needs and direct him to the right
14:48service.
14:48The British approach also suggests evaluating the system not merely by the number of services provided,
14:54but by sustainable employment, how well the job matches the veteran's skills and trust in the support system.
15:00In other words, the focus shifts from the question,
15:03how many services did we provide, to the much more important one,
15:07what actually changed in the veteran's life as a result.
15:10In Israel, the system for transitioning from military to civilian life is quite specific.
15:15It is the most developed and systematic.
15:17It is designed for service members completing their mandatory military service
15:21and for individuals with disabilities resulting from military service.
15:25For professional service members, the list of transition services is quite limited.
15:29The peculiarity of this system is, first of all, connected with the structure of the armed forces in Israel,
15:35specifically that the military and society are inseparable.
15:39Almost all young men and women go to serve in the military after school under general conscription.
15:43And after their regular service, they become reservists.
15:47Reservists and train every year.
15:49The Army can quickly mobilize the entire nation.
15:52War or military service directly affects every single household.
15:56For most discharged soldiers, two financial instruments are provided,
15:59a lump sum grant and a personal deposit account.
16:04Over a specified period, the deposit funds can be used for education, vocational training, housing,
16:10starting a business, and other purposes related to civil reintegration.
16:16Education subsidies, employment counseling, and an additional payment
16:20after a designated period of employment are also available.
16:24In other words, the financial support is aimed not at lifetime support,
16:28but at helping people through the critical period after discharge.
16:31The Israeli experience shows the other side of the coin.
16:35The system may be well-developed, but if accessing assistance turns into a bureaucratic quest,
16:40people simply stop using it.
16:42To prove the connection between a mental disorder and service,
16:45a veteran may need to spend months going before review boards and gathering evidence.
16:50For a person with PTSD, this can become an additional barrier and delay seeking help.
16:55Meanwhile, since September 2023,
16:57the number of PTSD cases in Israel has already increased by almost 40 percent.
17:03And by 2028, the Ministry of Defense projects a 180 percent increase.
17:08In Ukraine, 28 percent of surveyed male and female veterans need psychological support.
17:14This shows that with increasing demand,
17:16it is especially important to prevent administrative procedures
17:19from becoming a barrier to timely assistance.
17:22Providing psychological support should begin immediately after identifying the need,
17:27while establishing a causal link to service to obtain statuses,
17:31payments, and guarantees can occur in parallel.
17:34Canada views veterans' reintegration as a transition across seven interrelated domains.
17:38Health, housing, finances, employment or other meaningful activity,
17:43life skills, social integration, and cultural environment.
17:46Together with a government advisor,
17:48the service member develops an individualized plan with specific goals for each domain.
17:53However, Canada's experience shows
17:55that even a well-designed model can create inequality
17:58if decisions depend on obtaining a medical record,
18:02proving a connection to service,
18:04and the individual's ability to assemble the documents on their own.
18:07According to the report of the Auditor General of Canada to the Parliament of Canada,
18:11Processing Disability Benefits for Veterans,
18:13it was found that women waited longer for a decision on their first application for benefits
18:17than men.
18:1947 weeks for women compared to 38 weeks for men.
18:25Veterans Affairs Canada took 38% more time
18:28to process first applications from Royal Canadian Mounted Police members
18:33by 24% for women and by 21% for Francophones.
18:38From April 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021,
18:44we can't fail to mention the Balkan countries,
18:46as they have experience with war on their own soil.
18:48Croatia has a significant proportion of veterans among its population.
18:52In 2021, the Ministry of Croatian Veterans estimated their number
18:56at approximately 427,000 people,
18:59which accounts for 10.5% of the population.
19:03Croatia's experience highlights the risk of an overly generous benefit model.
19:06On one hand, it established regional branches of the central agency,
19:10supports vocational training,
19:12and combines state aid with Russia.
19:13But there is a flip side to it.
19:17After the war,
19:18Croatia built an extensive system of special pensions,
19:21housing rights,
19:22civil service privileges,
19:23and benefits for family members.
19:26According to the European Commission's estimate,
19:28In 2018, the country allocated around 2% of its GDP annually
19:34to veteran pensions, benefits, and other forms of support.
19:38Moreover, special veterans' pensions accounted for the major part of it.
19:42Due to the split in funding between the pension system
19:44and the Ministry of Veterans Affairs,
19:46the exact aggregate figure for each year is not officially published.
19:50The consequence of the fiscal burden
19:51is the creation of a public perception of veterans
19:54as a closed, privileged group,
19:56while the veterans themselves
19:58often feel a lack of genuine inclusion.
20:00Funding cannot be the sole criterion
20:02for the effectiveness of veterans' policy,
20:04as excessive expansions of open-ended benefits
20:07and special payments
20:08create a long-term burden on public finances
20:10without guaranteeing a full return of veterans to civilian life.
20:14The Bosnian model offers Ukraine few tools for direct borrowing,
20:18but it contains important warnings.
20:21After the war, veterans' rights were determined
20:24by separate legal systems for former servicemen
20:27of different armies and administrative entities.
20:29As a result, support became status-driven,
20:32territorial, and ethnopolitically fragmented,
20:35and access to it was primarily determined
20:37by the recipient's status rather than by their level of need.
20:41According to World Bank estimates,
20:43in the second half of the 2008,
20:45payments to veterans and families of fallen soldiers
20:48consumed around 66.5% of all the country's spending
20:52on non-insurance cash social transfers.
20:54At the same time,
20:56targeted assistance covered only 6.2% of the poorest population.
21:01The International Labor Organization
21:03directly links this disproportion
21:05to inequality and discrimination
21:07against people facing similar social risks,
21:10but do not belong to a protected status category.
21:14The imbalance in resource allocation
21:16leads to ineffective targeted poverty alleviation
21:19and, consequently,
21:20to an ineffective reduction of poverty.
21:22Studies of the Bosnian system
21:24also show that veterans' associations
21:26pushed for decisions favoring specific groups,
21:29often at the expense of other beneficiaries.
21:32Mechanically following this logic in Ukraine
21:34could trigger competition among those mobilized
21:36during different periods.
21:38Career military,
21:39volunteers,
21:40people with disabilities,
21:42families of the fallen,
21:43and other groups.
21:45Each new category will attempt
21:46to legally secure a distinct set of rights,
21:48and politicians might be incentivized
21:51to expand benefits
21:52without determining the sources of funding.
21:55Instead,
21:56we should pay attention
21:57to how social cohesion is addressed in Ukraine.
22:00A program involving former combatants,
22:03members of the armed forces,
22:05uses family-oriented trauma processing,
22:09intergenerational dialogue,
22:10and the involvement of veterans
22:11in peacebuilding and community projects.
22:13In Ukraine,
22:14such an experience could be useful
22:16for reducing tensions
22:17between veterans and civilians.
22:18It makes no sense for Ukraine
22:20to copy the model of a single country.
22:22Each of them has strong solutions,
22:24but also its own risks and limitations.
22:26Instead,
22:27the Ukrainian system can gather
22:29the best of different approaches.
22:31Compensation,
22:31services,
22:32treatment,
22:33plus restoring the ability to work,
22:35support during the transition
22:36from military service,
22:38plus employment
22:38and economic independence.
22:40But most importantly,
22:42such a system
22:42must not remain
22:43just another strategy on paper.
22:45Behind every guarantee,
22:47there must be funding,
22:48professionals,
22:49infrastructure,
22:49and clearly defined accountability
22:51for results.
22:52Who will take care
22:53of the veteran's family?
22:54The family has a distinct subject
22:56of veteran's policy.
22:57Both the prolonged absence
22:59of a service member
23:00and their return
23:01force families to adapt
23:02all over again
23:03as a redistribution of roles
23:05inevitably occurs.
23:07As of today,
23:08the Ukrainian veteran system
23:09designates family members
23:11as recipients
23:11of specific types of services
23:13in areas such as
23:14psychological assistance,
23:16social and employment
23:17transition support,
23:17and educational support.
23:19However,
23:20the system still often views
23:21the family primarily
23:22as a resource for the veteran.
23:23It is the family
23:24that bears the burden
23:25of coordinating treatment,
23:26handling paperwork,
23:28offering psychological support,
23:29and providing what the state
23:30has failed to ensure.
23:32And in many cases,
23:33the family also remains
23:35the sole source of income.
23:37A 2006 study,
23:39Long-Term Care for Veterans,
23:40shows
23:42that the medical and social systems
23:44essentially assume
23:45there is a family
23:46by the veteran's side
23:47to take on
23:48a significant portion
23:49of the care.
23:50After acute treatment
23:51or rehabilitation
23:52is completed,
23:53there is no established
23:54mechanism for coordination
23:56between the medical
23:57and social systems.
23:58And the social system
24:00relies heavily
24:00on family caregivers.
24:03For those who have no family,
24:05the lack of community services
24:06often leaves inpatient care
24:08as the only alternative.
24:10The need for such care
24:11increased sharply
24:12after the start
24:13of the full-scale war.
24:14While the system
24:15used to be primarily
24:16focused on older people,
24:17now a significant portion
24:19of the needs
24:19comes from male
24:20and female veterans.
24:21At the same time,
24:22the care system itself
24:23faces a significant deficit.
24:25About 65% of needs
24:28are covered by families
24:30on their own
24:30or they remain unmet.
24:32Whereas the state
24:33is only able to provide
24:34for 21% of actual need
24:37means that unpaid care
24:39effectively shifts
24:40the system's costs
24:41onto the family.
24:42People lose time
24:43and income,
24:44cut back on work,
24:45and become physically
24:46and mentally exhausted.
24:48The scale of such consequences
24:49is also well demonstrated
24:51by a study among
24:52American military personnel
24:53and caregivers of veterans.
24:55On average,
24:56they lost $4,522 U.S. dollars
25:00in potential income.
25:0127 of those surveyed
25:03reported reduced working hours,
25:05having to change jobs,
25:07and feelings of discrimination.
25:09Data indicators
25:09from the Organization
25:10for Economic Cooperation
25:12and Development
25:13also confirmed
25:14that intensive,
25:15informal caregiving
25:16has a significant impact
25:17on worsening mental health,
25:19reduced working hours,
25:20and early exit
25:22from the labor market.
25:23In Ukraine,
25:24there is currently
25:25no representative assessment
25:27regarding the income loss
25:28of veterans' caregivers.
25:29However,
25:30a study by the NGO
25:31Principe
25:32Behind the Scenes of Care
25:33based on 19 in-depth interviews
25:35with 17 partners,
25:37a mother,
25:38and a sister
25:40of service members
25:41and veterans
25:41who required care
25:42for at least six months
25:44revealed the real cost
25:45of such caregiving.
25:47A family can lose
25:48two sources of income
25:49at the same time,
25:50the earnings
25:51of the wounded member
25:52and the earnings
25:53of the loved one
25:54who leaves their job
25:55to care for them.
25:55Some caregivers
25:57keep their jobs
25:58only thanks to remote work
25:59and informal agreements
26:00with managers
26:01and colleagues.
26:03Additionally,
26:04families pay
26:05for medical treatment,
26:06legal aid,
26:07transportation,
26:07and accommodation
26:08near hospitals
26:09or rehabilitation centers.
26:11Starting in 2025,
26:13the state began launching
26:14experimental training
26:15and information programs
26:17for relatives
26:18on veteran care,
26:19support,
26:20and crisis management.
26:21However,
26:22they lack sufficient availability,
26:23geographical accessibility,
26:25an established network,
26:27standards,
26:27and protocols.
26:28The state also lacks
26:30sufficient mechanisms
26:31for support,
26:32training,
26:32and compensation
26:33for caregiving relatives.
26:34A comprehensive
26:35long-term care system
26:36requires not just funding
26:38for individual services,
26:39but personnel,
26:40standards,
26:41protocols,
26:41and a sustainable network
26:43of services
26:43in the communities.
26:44Otherwise,
26:45the family will remain
26:46that very invisible resource
26:48the system relies on
26:49without paying for it.
26:51Experts criticize
26:52the tacit shifting
26:54of long-term care
26:55onto families.
26:56The cost of this issue
26:57for a family
26:58is lost income,
26:59reduced employment,
27:00exhaustion,
27:01and the risk of poverty.
27:03Currently,
27:03the caregiving period
27:04can count toward
27:05one's insurance record,
27:06but only for an able-bodied person
27:08who is not working
27:09and receives
27:10the statutory assistance
27:11or compensation.
27:12In other words,
27:13the system essentially
27:14forces a relative
27:15to make a choice,
27:16work without adequate support,
27:17or provide care
27:19while losing
27:20their professional income.
27:21A mandatory separate assessment
27:23of the caregiver's needs,
27:25if one is required,
27:26must become an essential part
27:28of the family support system.
27:30That is why,
27:31prior to discharge
27:32from a hospital
27:32or rehabilitation facility,
27:34two related yet distinct assessments
27:36should be conducted.
27:37The first should identify
27:38the veteran's medical,
27:39functional,
27:40psychological,
27:41and everyday needs,
27:42along with the necessity
27:43for assistance from others,
27:45equipment,
27:45and housing adaptations.
27:47The second should separately
27:48determine the capacity,
27:50willingness,
27:50and own needs
27:51of the potential caregiver,
27:53their physical
27:53and psychological health,
27:55existing skills,
27:56employment,
27:57other family obligations,
27:59as well as financial
28:00and housing constraints,
28:01needs for training,
28:02professional help,
28:03or respite care.
28:04The findings of both assessments
28:06should be combined
28:07into a single discharge
28:08and ongoing support plan.
28:10At the same time,
28:11a relative's refusal
28:12to take on a caregiving role
28:13or an inability
28:14to perform certain tasks
28:16must not result
28:17in reduced assistance
28:18for the veteran
28:18or moral pressure
28:20on the family.
28:21In such a case,
28:22the system must provide
28:23professional care,
28:24assistive devices,
28:25community support,
28:26or another safe living arrangement
28:27moving forward.
28:29Another mandatory component
28:30must be caregiver training,
28:32which should also begin
28:33before discharge
28:34and include not just instructions,
28:36but practical skills,
28:38transfers,
28:39hygiene,
28:40nutrition,
28:41wound care,
28:42equipment use,
28:43and crisis response.
28:44There is already
28:45such a practice in Ukraine,
28:47the Come Back Alive
28:48Initiative Center.
28:49Ivan Franco-Holmes
28:51and the Lviv Medical Professional
28:52College of Postgraduate Education
28:54conducted a training program
28:56for personal care assistance.
28:57It included 16 webinars,
29:00supervision,
29:00and two in-person
29:02practical sessions.
29:03The next step
29:04is to turn such projects
29:05into a state standard
29:06with guaranteed funding
29:07and nationwide accessibility.
29:10Equally important
29:11is accessible
29:12psychological support.
29:13And as of today,
29:14it is the most institutionalized
29:16area of support
29:17for veterans
29:17and their families.
29:18Resolution of the Cabinet
29:19of Ministers
29:20No. 1,338
29:23explicitly recognizes
29:24spouses,
29:25children,
29:25and parents
29:26as independent recipients
29:28of the service.
29:29Just consider it.
29:30It defines individual,
29:31family,
29:31and group forms
29:32of assistance.
29:33It outlines three levels
29:34of intensity.
29:35It establishes
29:36qualification requirements
29:37for professionals
29:38and provides budget reimbursement
29:39to service providers.
29:40An adult family member
29:42can apply personally
29:43without the veteran's
29:44involvement or consent.
29:45For 2026-2028,
29:49166.712 million
29:51Rivnias are allocated
29:53for this assistance
29:54each year.
29:54The planned coverage is
29:564,414 recipients
29:59of Level 2
30:00group or family assistance.
30:02Professional psychological support,
30:04crisis intervention,
30:05diagnostics,
30:06psychoeducation,
30:07counseling,
30:07psychotherapy,
30:08and group work.
30:093,040 recipients
30:10of Level 2
30:12individual assistance
30:13and 16,200 recipients
30:15of Level 3 assistance.
30:17Comprehensive medical
30:18and psychological support
30:20by a multidisciplinary team.
30:21But unfortunately,
30:22the coverage is still
30:23significantly lower.
30:24In 2025,
30:26the plan anticipated
30:27assisting about
30:2835,000 people.
30:30In reality,
30:319,595 received it
30:33or about 27%
30:35of what was planned.
30:36The Ministry of Veterans Affairs
30:38identified the measure
30:39as partially implemented.
30:41One of the factors
30:41behind this lag
30:42remains the stigmatizing
30:44attitudes towards
30:44psychological assistance
30:46that are widespread
30:47in Ukrainian society
30:48and, separately,
30:49the belief that a man
30:50must handle his problems
30:51on his own.
30:52To overcome this barrier,
30:54the country needs
30:55broad-based
30:56mental health education,
30:57veterans and their families
30:58as advocates
30:59for seeking help,
31:00confidentiality guarantees,
31:02and the integration
31:02of psychological services
31:04into regular medical
31:05and social services.
31:07Thus,
31:07the family must stop
31:08being the invisible workforce
31:10of veteran policy.
31:11The consequences
31:12of service,
31:13injury,
31:13or the veteran's
31:14loss of functional
31:15independence
31:15directly affect
31:16the health,
31:17employment,
31:18income,
31:18and life opportunities
31:19of their loved ones.
31:21Therefore,
31:21family members
31:22must be independent
31:23recipients of support,
31:24and their needs
31:25must be assessed
31:26separately.
31:27Ukraine has already
31:27laid the regulatory
31:28and financial groundwork
31:30to support families.
31:31However,
31:32supporting cases
31:33of long-term care,
31:34loss of income,
31:35caregiver burnout,
31:36and the need
31:37for respite care
31:38remains fragmented.
31:40How can we
31:41seamlessly reintegrate
31:42veterans into the economy?
31:44The economic
31:45reintegration of veterans
31:46isn't just about
31:47finding a job
31:48after service
31:48to earn an income.
31:50What matters
31:50is whether this job
31:52will be stable,
31:53safe,
31:53and dignified.
31:54Whether it matches
31:55their health,
31:56skills,
31:57family circumstances,
31:58and professional goals.
31:59And most importantly,
32:01whether it helps them
32:02feel needed again.
32:03It's a search
32:04for a new role.
32:05The labor market
32:06demands a resume.
32:07But a veteran
32:08is looking for an answer
32:09to a deeper question.
32:10Do I have a place
32:11in society?
32:12According to a study
32:13by Work.ua,
32:1574% of respondents
32:17consider military service
32:18fully or partially
32:19part of their
32:20professional background.
32:21About half view
32:22the transition
32:23to civilian life
32:24as a challenge,
32:24a loss of purpose,
32:25or uncertainty.
32:26It is difficult
32:27for veterans
32:28to adapt to civilian life
32:29due to the lasting impact
32:31of their experiences.
32:32And work
32:33is the aspect
32:34that can restore
32:34a sense of independence,
32:36professional identity,
32:37and connection
32:38with society.
32:39As part of the interviews
32:40conducted for a study
32:41by the Ukrainian
32:42Veterans Foundation,
32:43one of the veteran entrepreneurs
32:45described it this way.
32:46Work became
32:47my rehab specialist.
32:50At the same time,
32:51employment should not
32:52be viewed as a universal,
32:54all-encompassing means
32:55of rehabilitation,
32:56since under conditions
32:57of inadequate pay
32:58or a mismatch
32:59of duties
33:00with one's competencies
33:01and health condition,
33:02discrimination,
33:02or a lack
33:04of necessary
33:04workplace accommodations,
33:06it may not promote recovery,
33:07but instead deepen exhaustion.
33:10In Ukraine,
33:10there are already
33:11training programs,
33:12professional adaptation programs,
33:14and vouchers for them,
33:15a program that allows
33:16free retraining
33:17for a profession,
33:18obtaining another specialty,
33:20or studying
33:20at the next educational level,
33:22as well as compensation
33:23for employers and grants.
33:25However,
33:26they belong
33:27to different agencies
33:28and have different
33:29entry points.
33:30According to a study
33:31by Work.ua,
33:32Superhumans,
33:33and FAMA conducted
33:34in 2026,
33:3693% of employers
33:37have already hired veterans
33:39or considered
33:40such candidates.
33:4178% of veterans
33:43went to interviews
33:44after their service.
33:45Yet over 38%
33:47of surveyed individuals
33:48with military experience
33:50left their first
33:51post-service job
33:52in less than three months.
33:54The study's findings
33:54reveal an important point.
33:56Contact between veterans
33:58and employers
33:58is already taking place,
34:00but the mere fact
34:01of being hired
34:02does not yet guarantee
34:03long-term,
34:04sustainable cooperation.
34:06It is precisely
34:06at the stage
34:07after starting the job,
34:08while forming expectations
34:10and interacting
34:11with the manager and team,
34:12and adapting
34:12to the new environment,
34:13that a significant portion
34:15of the difficulties arise,
34:16which can ultimately lead
34:17to leaving the job.
34:18Almost half of the companies,
34:2049%,
34:21didn't conduct
34:22any team preparation at all.
34:24The veterans started
34:25just like any regular
34:26new employee.
34:28A quarter,
34:2926%,
34:30prepared partially
34:31by talking to the team lead,
34:32and only
34:338%
34:34conducted special training
34:35or a briefing for the team.
34:37Yet often,
34:38difficulties arise
34:39even before employment.
34:40A significant portion
34:41of veterans
34:42don't know how to present
34:43their military experience
34:44on a resume
34:45and explain its value
34:46in the language
34:47of the civilian job market.
34:48Because of this,
34:49the skills acquired
34:50during service
34:50often remain invisible
34:51to employers
34:52right from the screening stage.
34:53only a third
34:54described their experience
34:55in detail.
34:56Most merely stated
34:57the fact of their service,
34:58served in the armed forces
35:002022 to 2024.
35:02And another,
35:0312,
35:04didn't mention anything at all.
35:06Even among those
35:06who fully completed
35:07their CVs,
35:0854 wrote only briefly
35:10about their service experience
35:11and did not provide
35:12a comprehensive
35:13self-presentation.
35:14This issue revealed
35:15three different barriers
35:16to adaptation.
35:17First,
35:1842% of veterans
35:20are convinced
35:20that military experience
35:22is not important
35:23to an employer,
35:23although in reality,
35:25commanding a unit
35:26can mean personnel management,
35:27resource planning,
35:28and working under
35:29conditions of uncertainty.
35:30Military logistics
35:31is supply,
35:32transport,
35:33and inventory management,
35:34while communications
35:35represent technical
35:36and cybersecurity competencies.
35:38Second,
35:3944% of respondents
35:41report not knowing
35:42how to describe
35:43their experience
35:43in the language
35:44of the civilian job market.
35:47A veteran knows
35:48what he did,
35:48but he can't translate
35:49combat squad leader
35:51into project manager.
35:52The third barrier,
35:53indicated by 19%,
35:55is the fear
35:56that an employer
35:57will reject them
35:57upon learning
35:58about their service.
35:59And all this
36:00creates additional
36:01uncertainties
36:01when looking for a job.
36:03In 2025,
36:05the Ministry of Veterans Affairs,
36:07together with Work.ua,
36:08analyzed the correspondence
36:09between a thousand
36:10military specialties
36:11and civilian professions.
36:12And as part of
36:13the Nasustrich Project,
36:14they created a guide
36:15from service to work,
36:17how to translate
36:18military experience
36:19into the language
36:19of the labor market.
36:21The tool exists,
36:22but people often
36:23simply don't know about it.
36:2457% of employers
36:26were hearing about
36:27the From Service to Work
36:28guide for the first time,
36:29and more than half
36:30don't know about
36:31state financial incentives
36:32for hiring veterans.
36:34Currently,
36:34employers can receive
36:35compensation in the amount
36:36of one and a half
36:37minimum wages
36:38for hiring a veteran
36:39for at least one year,
36:40and up to 120,000
36:42hrivnas for adapting
36:43a workplace
36:44for a veteran
36:45with a disability.
36:46Accordingly,
36:46the problem is not
36:47the lack of state support
36:48as such,
36:49it simply doesn't reach
36:50companies at the moment
36:51of decision-making.
36:52Awareness among veterans
36:53themselves is even lower.
36:5568% heard about
36:56the WHO guide
36:57for the first time,
36:58and only 10%
37:00had actually used it.
37:01At the same time,
37:0344% named
37:04not knowing how
37:05to describe military experience
37:07as the main reason
37:08for an incomplete resume.
37:10So the state
37:10has already created
37:11a tool that partially
37:12solves the problem,
37:13but it doesn't reach
37:14those who need it
37:15right when they are
37:15looking for a job.
37:17And one more important point,
37:18the problem isn't
37:19that veterans
37:20don't want to work.
37:21According to WorkUA,
37:23a veteran applies
37:23to roughly every
37:24seventh vacancy,
37:25or about 15%,
37:26whereas a civilian candidate
37:28applies to every
37:29ninth vacancy,
37:30or about 11%.
37:31Veterans also call
37:32employers more often,
37:34clarify details,
37:35and write directly.
37:36The problem lies elsewhere.
37:38The labor market
37:39isn't always ready
37:40to respond to this initiative.
37:41A significant portion
37:42of veteran applications
37:43remains unanswered.
37:45Ukrainian business
37:46is gradually shifting
37:47from declaring readiness
37:48to hire veterans
37:49to implementing
37:50practical changes.
37:52Companies are training recruiters,
37:54adapting onboarding procedures,
37:56appointing managers
37:57for veteran programs,
37:58and reviewing
37:59internal processes.
38:00However,
38:02the next stage
38:02is more challenging,
38:03building an inclusive
38:04corporate culture.
38:06A veteran should not be seen
38:08as a separate social category
38:09in need of support,
38:10but as a specialist
38:12and an equal colleague.
38:14An employer should evaluate them
38:15based on their competencies
38:17and fit for the position,
38:18rather than hiring
38:19out of gratitude
38:20or for the sake
38:21of a corporate report.
38:22It is also crucial
38:23to shift the perspective here.
38:24A veteran in the job market
38:26is not necessarily a hero
38:28who needs special accommodations,
38:29nor a victim
38:30who requires constant care.
38:32First and foremost,
38:33this is an individual
38:34with specific skills,
38:36experience,
38:37and professional goals.
38:38That is why it's important
38:39to understand that veterans
38:40return to the labor market
38:42will not happen
38:43through a single company,
38:44forum,
38:44or the right messaging.
38:46It happens through concrete decisions
38:48within each company.
38:49As Anastasia Rozlutska,
38:51head of the Nazustrik project
38:53at Worked UA,
38:54points out,
38:54businesses need to ask themselves
38:56a key question.
38:57What exactly can be changed
38:59in your company
39:00as soon as this week,
39:01and why hasn't it been done yet?
39:03But employment
39:04isn't the only path.
39:05For some veterans,
39:06that path could be
39:07starting their own business.
39:08In July of 26,
39:10the Employment Service
39:11reported over 3.3 thousand
39:14supported veteran business projects
39:16and more than 1.5 thousand
39:18jobs created.
39:20Under the Own Business program,
39:22a veteran-owned business
39:23can receive a grant
39:24of up to 1 million RIVNAS,
39:27depending on the number
39:28of jobs created
39:29and the co-financing terms.
39:31Eligible recipients
39:32can also include
39:33specified categories
39:34of family members.
39:35Preferential lending
39:36is also available for veterans.
39:38The state program
39:39Affordable Loans
39:40at 5, 7, and 9%
39:42operates through partner banks
39:44and some banks
39:45create special products
39:46for veteran entrepreneurship.
39:48For example,
39:49Urshad Bank,
39:49within the Business 4.5.0 program,
39:53offers veterans loans
39:54of up to 5 million RIVNAS
39:56for their own business
39:57and startups.
39:58And Privat Bank
39:59launched a separate program
40:01for veteran entrepreneurship
40:02in 2026.
40:03But here another question arises.
40:06How many of these businesses
40:07actually survive?
40:09Official reporting
40:10mainly tracks
40:10the number of winners,
40:12the amount of allocated funding,
40:13and the jobs
40:14that recipients committed
40:15to creating.
40:17Instead,
40:18there is no consolidated
40:20public data
40:20on how many businesses
40:22are still operating
40:23after one,
40:24two,
40:24or more years,
40:25have turned a profit,
40:26or maintained
40:27the jobs they created.
40:29Partially,
40:30this can be explained
40:31by the relative novelty
40:32of the veteran-focused track
40:33of the program,
40:34which launched in April 2023.
40:36Recipients can choose
40:37a project implementation period
40:39of three,
40:40five,
40:40or seven years.
40:42Therefore,
40:42even the earliest participants
40:44have only recently reached
40:45the minimum
40:45three-year milestone,
40:47and there is not yet
40:48an adequate observation period
40:50following the completion
40:51of the contract.
40:52So for now,
40:52we can assess
40:53the scale of the support,
40:54but not its long-term result.
40:56In addition,
40:57veteran-owned businesses
40:58face additional risks,
40:59medical treatment
41:00and rehabilitation,
41:01changes in working capacity
41:03and family circumstances,
41:04veterans with severe
41:05consequences of injuries
41:06are more likely
41:07to talk about
41:08a lack of skills,
41:09complicated procedures,
41:10and issues with loans,
41:11startup capital,
41:12and partner authorities.
41:13That is why
41:14the government's concept
41:15for the State Target Program
41:16for Supporting Veteran Entrepreneurship
41:19for 2026-2028
41:21envisages a transition
41:22from a standalone grant
41:24to supporting
41:25the entire business life cycle,
41:27from registration
41:28and consulting
41:28to development,
41:30lending,
41:30and market entry.
41:32This is the right direction.
41:34However,
41:34the outcome will depend
41:35on whether these components
41:37are truly combined
41:38into a single,
41:39accessible pathway.
41:40And that is sound logic.
41:42Therefore,
41:42the main problem
41:43doesn't lie
41:44in the number of programs.
41:45Economic reintegration
41:47shouldn't look like
41:48a set of scattered opportunities.
41:49Here's a course,
41:50here's a grant,
41:51here's a vacancy,
41:52and then you figure it out
41:54for yourself.
41:54Training,
41:55recognition of military competencies,
41:57job search,
41:59workplace adaptation,
42:00entrepreneurship,
42:01treatment,
42:02and social support
42:03must work together
42:04as a single pathway.
42:06Ideally,
42:07it should start
42:07even before discharge
42:08from service.
42:10And support should not end
42:12once the veteran
42:12has received a diploma,
42:14signed an employment contract,
42:15or received a grant.
42:18Economic reintegration
42:19can be considered successful
42:20when a veteran
42:21has not only entered
42:22the labor market,
42:23but has been able
42:24to establish themselves in it
42:25under acceptable,
42:26safe,
42:27and sustainable conditions.
42:29This is precisely
42:30what should be
42:31the ultimate indicator
42:32of a successful veteran policy.
42:34Not how many people
42:35we helped into jobs,
42:36but how many of them
42:37were able to build
42:38a sustainable,
42:39economically independent life.
42:41How much will inaction cost,
42:44and how do we fund the change?
42:48Building an early
42:49and comprehensive
42:50veteran support system
42:51certainly requires
42:52substantial public spending.
42:53The 2026 budget
42:55allocates almost
42:5619 billion hirivnas
42:58to veterans policy,
43:00which is
43:016.3 billion
43:03more than in 2025.
43:06Out of this amount,
43:075.7 billion
43:09is allocated
43:10for housing
43:11for veterans
43:11with disabilities
43:12in groups 1 and 2,
43:154 billion
43:16for the National Military
43:17Memorial Cemetery,
43:181 billion
43:19for dental care,
43:20and more than 8 billion
43:22to support the transition
43:23to civilian life.
43:25At the same time,
43:26the overall
43:27veteran policy budget
43:28doesn't mean
43:29that all these funds
43:30will be directed
43:30toward early intervention
43:31and rehabilitation.
43:32It covers various areas,
43:34housing,
43:35medical and psychological
43:36assistance,
43:37vocational adaptation,
43:39the work of support specialists,
43:41veteran community spaces,
43:42funding for Ukrainian
43:43Veterans Foundation projects,
43:45and honoring the fallen.
43:47The problem lies
43:48in the cost of delay.
43:49If help isn't provided on time,
43:51medical,
43:52psychological,
43:53family,
43:53and professional difficulties
43:54can pile up
43:55and compound one another.
43:56For instance,
43:57a review of PTSD consequences
43:59indicates sleep
44:00and concentration disorders,
44:02chronic pain,
44:03cardiovascular
44:04and digestive issues,
44:05and also highlights
44:06the need for timely,
44:07comprehensive treatment.
44:09Clinical case analysis
44:10also demonstrates
44:11the need for individualized,
44:13long-term support,
44:14working with the family,
44:15and engaging community resources.
44:17International studies
44:18confirm that timely care
44:19also brings economic benefits.
44:21According to WHO estimates,
44:24every dollar invested
44:25in scaling up treatment
44:26for depression
44:26and anxiety disorders
44:27can yield around $4 in returns
44:30through improved health,
44:31labor market participation,
44:33and productivity.
44:34According to calculations
44:36from a RAND study
44:37on U.S. service members
44:38and veterans,
44:39expanding access
44:40to evidence-based treatment
44:42for PTSD and depression
44:43was shown to potentially
44:45pay for itself
44:45within two years
44:46through restored productivity
44:48and the reduction
44:49of other societal costs.
44:52These data show
44:53that delayed rehabilitation
44:54can lead to additional
44:56healthcare costs
44:57and social benefits,
44:59loss of family income,
45:00reduced employment,
45:02decreased tax revenues,
45:03and the need.
45:06therefore funding
45:08for veterans policy
45:09must be planned
45:10by evaluating
45:10whether these expenditures
45:11help the individual
45:12maintain their health,
45:14return to work,
45:15regain independence,
45:16and reduce the need
45:17for long-term support.
45:20Otherwise,
45:21the state risks
45:21saving on early assistance
45:23only to spend
45:24far more later
45:25on the consequences
45:26of preventable problems.
45:29The least visible part
45:30of the cost of inaction
45:31is the work done
45:32by families,
45:33which the state
45:34essentially uses
45:35to replace nursing aids,
45:36home care,
45:37transportation,
45:38and navigating
45:39between institutions.
45:40The study
45:41Behind the Scenes of Care
45:42describes the risk
45:43of simultaneously
45:44losing two incomes,
45:46the injured persons
45:46and that of a loved one
45:48who leaves their job.
45:49Thus,
45:49the caregiver
45:50is a key part
45:51of economic reintegration,
45:52since formal home care,
45:54personal assistance,
45:55day services,
45:56specialized transportation services,
45:59short-term respite care,
46:00and flexible employment
46:01can simultaneously improve
46:02the quality of support
46:03for the veteran
46:04and allow the loved one
46:05to return to paid work.
46:08Veteran policy
46:09also should not be based
46:10on the assumption
46:11that a veteran
46:12is merely a recipient of aid.
46:14Veteran entrepreneur
46:15and founder
46:16of the Veterans Plus Association,
46:18Alexander Martininko,
46:19notes that collaborative work
46:21between veterans
46:21and civilians
46:22is a way of returning to life,
46:24and research by veteran families
46:26shows that after service,
46:27people want to work,
46:28provide for their families,
46:30and be independent.
46:31But they face bureaucracy,
46:32fragmented support,
46:33and unequal opportunities
46:35in small communities.
46:36Even a seemingly neutral
46:37service delay
46:38carries a cumulative cost.
46:40Today,
46:41the state still lacks
46:42the data
46:42to calculate
46:43how much GDP
46:44Ukraine could lose
46:45due to failed
46:46veteran reintegration.
46:47Such an assessment
46:48requires data
46:49on veterans'
46:50employment and income,
46:51job tenure,
46:52care needs,
46:53healthcare costs,
46:54migration,
46:54and comparisons
46:55with people
46:56who have similar characteristics.
46:57At the same time,
46:59international funding
47:00can already be part
47:01of a systemic reform.
47:02The $880 million
47:04Spirit Project
47:06supports the modernization
47:07of social protection,
47:09including basic social assistance.
47:11The World Bank reports
47:12coordinating support
47:13in the areas
47:13of social assistance,
47:15disability,
47:16pensions,
47:16and veterans,
47:17as well as
47:18co-financing medical programs
47:20with the Council of Europe
47:21Development Bank
47:22and other partners.
47:23So the question
47:24is no longer
47:25just how much
47:26veteran reintegration
47:27will cost.
47:27The question
47:28is how much
47:29Ukraine will pay
47:30for its failure.
47:31The Ukraine investment
47:32framework explicitly
47:33allows supporting businesses
47:35and livelihoods
47:35of vulnerable groups,
47:37identifying veteran
47:38reintegration
47:38as a significant
47:39socioeconomic challenge.
47:41However,
47:41donor funds
47:42should strengthen
47:43the state system
47:43rather than create
47:44another parallel one
47:45alongside it.
47:46For every pilot,
47:47and even before it launches,
47:49the following are needed.
47:50a responsible authority,
47:52a post-grant funding source,
47:54a comparison group,
47:55the cost per sustainable outcome,
47:57and a plan
47:58to either scale up
47:59or discontinue the program.
48:01A financially responsible policy
48:02for the majority
48:03of working-age veterans
48:04means early treatment,
48:06prompt access
48:06to the required training,
48:08a job,
48:08and support.
48:09For individuals
48:10with severe consequences,
48:11it means proper care,
48:13maximum autonomy,
48:14and the opportunity
48:15to work as much
48:16as they are able
48:17and willing.
48:17For families,
48:18it means not being obligated
48:20to replace the state
48:21for free,
48:21but having a real choice
48:22between caregiving,
48:24paid employment,
48:24and professional services.
48:26And the main budgetary indicator
48:28should be the preservation
48:29of health,
48:30adequately paid work,
48:31functional independence,
48:32and a family
48:33that has not fallen
48:34into poverty
48:35because of caregiving.
48:36And if these results
48:37are achieved,
48:38the costs of reintegration
48:39become not just
48:40social expenditures.
48:42They become an investment
48:43in human capital
48:44and the future economy
48:45of Ukraine.
48:47What model of veteran policy
48:49does Ukraine need?
48:50So what should
48:51the Ukrainian model be like?
48:53Benefit-based,
48:54service-oriented,
48:55or investment-driven?
48:56In fact,
48:57Ukraine doesn't have
48:58to choose just one.
48:59Benefits must remain
49:00a guarantee,
49:01services must ensure recovery,
49:03and investments must restore
49:05as much independence
49:06as possible to a person.
49:07An investment model
49:09does not mean
49:10that a veteran's value
49:11is measured only
49:11by employment or taxes.
49:13For a person
49:14with a severe injury,
49:15the outcome may be
49:17the ability
49:17to move independently,
49:19live at home,
49:20make decisions,
49:21and reduce the need
49:22for round-the-clock care.
49:23For a fallen soldier's family,
49:25it means preserving
49:26their income,
49:27mental health,
49:27and the children's
49:28future prospects.
49:30For a person
49:30who is able to work,
49:32it means suitable,
49:33safe,
49:33and properly paid work
49:35rather than
49:35token employment.
49:36Economic return
49:37is an important consequence
49:38of recovery,
49:39but not a condition
49:40for the right to support.
49:41Therefore,
49:42the state's main question
49:43must change.
49:45Not what status
49:46or benefit
49:47a person is entitled to,
49:48but what is needed
49:49for them to regain
49:50the greatest possible
49:51independence
49:51and fulfill
49:52their own life plan
49:53without losing
49:54the guarantees
49:55they deserve.
49:56The Veteran Policy Strategy
49:57until 2030
49:59already defines
50:00the restoration
50:01of human capital
50:02and the well-being
50:03of veterans,
50:03both male and female,
50:05and their family members
50:06as one of its
50:07three main goals.
50:08The Strategy
50:08for Creating a System
50:09for Transitioning
50:10from Military Service
50:11to Civilian Life
50:12until 2033
50:13establishes a specific
50:15logic for that transition.
50:16That is,
50:17at the level
50:17of state documents,
50:18Ukraine has already
50:19moved beyond
50:20a purely benefit-based
50:21approach.
50:21At the same time,
50:22services are expanding.
50:24The Ministry of Veterans
50:25Affairs reports
50:25having 2,158
50:28support specialists
50:28across 1,318
50:31territorial communities,
50:32and administrative
50:33services are accessible
50:34through veteran windows
50:35at ASCs
50:36and the Veteran Pro
50:37digital platform.
50:38The main problem
50:39lies elsewhere.
50:40This new model
50:41hasn't been assembled
50:41into a single
50:42working system yet,
50:43and it's crucial
50:44not to mistake
50:45the number of access points
50:46for the quality
50:47of the system.
50:47We don't yet know
50:48how many people
50:49a single specialist
50:50can realistically support
50:51at the same time,
50:52how many referrals
50:53actually result
50:54in services received,
50:55or how long
50:56a person waits
50:56for help.
50:57And does the system
50:58work the same way
50:59in a big city,
51:00a small community,
51:01a village,
51:01or after displacement?
51:03And this is fundamentally
51:04important for the
51:05accessibility of services,
51:06because according to data
51:08from the International
51:08Organization for Migration,
51:1063% of the surveyed
51:13veterans in 2025
51:14lived in rural areas
51:16or small towns.
51:17Research by the
51:18Right to Protection
51:19Charitable Foundation
51:20shows that at the local level,
51:21sound strategic intentions
51:23face a shortage of staff
51:24and lack of coordination.
51:25One of the most accurate
51:27descriptions of this fragmentation
51:28given by the respondents
51:29themselves is,
51:30every agency
51:31is a state unto itself.
51:33In June 2026,
51:35the Organization for Economic
51:37Cooperation and Development
51:38formulated nearly
51:39the same diagnosis.
51:41The country needs
51:42needs assessment
51:43and further decentralization,
51:45a single pathway
51:46between defense,
51:47health care,
51:48social services,
51:49education,
51:49and employment.
51:50A basic support package
51:52for everyone
51:52and more intensive guidance
51:54for those with
51:54more complex needs.
51:55In other words,
51:56going to a hospital,
51:57an administrative service center,
51:59a family doctor,
52:00the employment service,
52:01or a support specialist
52:02should trigger
52:03a single pathway
52:03rather than a new cycle
52:05of certificates
52:05and applications.
52:06At the same time,
52:08support should not be
52:08equally intensive
52:09for everyone.
52:10The UNDP recommends
52:12making transitional support
52:13targeted and time-limited
52:14for the majority of veterans
52:15while concentrating
52:16long-term,
52:17regular expenditures
52:18on people
52:19who,
52:19due to injuries
52:20or disabilities,
52:21need constant,
52:22specialized assistance.
52:23This is not about
52:24cutting rights.
52:25This is about
52:26the proper allocation
52:27of resources.
52:28Because universal
52:29lifelong benefits
52:30shouldn't squeeze out
52:31expensive rehabilitation,
52:32care,
52:33or housing adaptations
52:34for someone who simply
52:35can't live independently
52:36without them.
52:37And there's another
52:38important thing here.
52:39We can't build a system
52:41around a single
52:42projected demobilization figure.
52:44The mass return
52:45of service members
52:46won't be uniform
52:47in scale,
52:48pace,
52:48or geography.
52:49That is why,
52:50before mass demobilization
52:52begins,
52:52the government must conduct
52:54a stress test
52:54of the system,
52:55simulate several scenarios
52:57of discharge from service,
52:58and check whether
52:59there will be enough
52:59specialists,
53:00medical and social services,
53:01funding,
53:02and infrastructure.
53:03And the system
53:04should be evaluated
53:05not only by the number
53:06of services received.
53:08Economic and social recovery
53:10can move in different directions.
53:11The financial situation
53:13improved,
53:13while the sense of belonging
53:15to the community worsened.
53:17Combined barriers
53:18were especially difficult
53:19for displaced veterans
53:20and veterans with disabilities.
53:22The most dangerous
53:24imitation of reform
53:25would be replacing
53:26the list of benefits
53:27with a list of services,
53:28and then reporting solely
53:30based on the number
53:30of requests.
53:31A true qualitative change
53:33will happen
53:33when the military
53:34and civilian systems
53:35transfer a person
53:36from one to the other
53:37without gaps.
53:38One's place of residence
53:39doesn't dictate the scope
53:41of the basic guarantee,
53:42and the family
53:43doesn't become
53:43an unpaid coordinator
53:44and caregiver by default.
53:46The provider is responsible
53:47for a completed stage,
53:49while the system
53:49is responsible
53:50for the long-term outcome.
53:52And success won't be measured
53:53by budget spending,
53:54but preserved health,
53:56the maximum possible independence,
53:58sustainable employment,
53:59and a decent life
54:00with the necessary support.
54:02Achieving such results
54:03will clearly demonstrate
54:04the difference
54:05between veteran policy
54:06as a set of government programs
54:08and veteran policy
54:09as part of Ukraine's
54:10post-war recovery.
54:12And what do you think
54:13is more important
54:13for Ukrainians?
54:14Benefits based on status
54:16or support based on need?
54:18Let us know in the comments.
54:19We'd love to hear your thoughts.
54:21This video was produced
54:22by the Center for Social
54:23and Economic Research,
54:25KACE Ukraine,
54:26with the support
54:26of the Askold and Deer Foundation,
54:28administered by Isar Ednanya
54:31as part of the project
54:32Strong Civil Society of Ukraine,
54:34a driver of reforms
54:35and democracy,
54:37funded by Norway and Sweden.
54:39The content of the video
54:40is the sole responsibility
54:41of KACE Ukraine
54:42and does not necessarily reflect
54:44the views of the governments
54:45of Norway, Sweden,
54:46or Isar Ednanya.
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