Building a veteran support system: experience, challenges, and solutions

Publication date: October 22, 2025

Author: Olenka Heletiuk, Communications Expert, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of “HLUZD”

Ukraine is going through a difficult but natural stage—the formation of a veteran support system that goes beyond benefits and statuses. This is about creating a policy based on dignity, trust, and participation. This is exactly what participants discussed at the online workshop “From Challenges to Solutions: Rights of Veterans and Their Family Members,” held on September 19, 2025, as part of an advocacy campaign organized by the Legal Development Network in partnership with the humanitarian organization People in Need and with financial support from the Czech Development Agency.

This event became not just a discussion, but a practical platform for finding solutions in the areas of social protection, legal support, medical and psychological rehabilitation, and employment. The main question—how to ensure that veterans’ rights are not only declared but actually implemented.

Olha Nastina, Executive Director of the Legal Development Network, emphasized that quality access to protection of veterans’ rights is only possible through partnership:

“We can achieve quality access to protection of the rights of veterans and their families only when the ‘peer-to-peer’ principle works, when the ‘nothing about us, without us’ principle works.”

This approach changes the very logic of policy—from the condescending “we help” to the dialogue “we create solutions together.”

Key Issues Requiring Advocacy

During the practical session of the workshop, participants identified a number of issues that have become common across the entire country.

Monetary support and payments are the #1 issue by number of requests. Veterans face problems with recalculations, non-payment of “combat” bonuses, and discrepancies in documents. Inna Kolesnyk, advocacy expert and lawyer, says:

“Material security takes priority in everything. If the material need is not met, we cannot move forward.”

A particular injustice is the absence of a payment mechanism for discharged servicemembers who lost their health due to injuries. They have to fight for compensation through courts. And this is also advocacy — when each case becomes an argument for legislative changes.

Confusion of concepts is a separate issue. Ukraine has still not eliminated the confusion between the statuses of “veteran” and “servicemember.” Because of this, thousands of people cannot receive payments or benefits on time. Inna Kolesnyk notes: “We have legislative regulation, but the individuality of each case matters greatly. Some manage to achieve results, others don’t.”

A particularly painful issue is the assignment of statuses “killed in action” or “deceased.” This is not just a formality, but an emotional trigger for families, as social guarantees depend on it. Relatives often wait for a military medical commission (VLK) conclusion for six months or a year, which effectively halts the aid application process.

Access to quality medical and psychological care remains limited. “Many veterans are forced to look for doctors through connections because there is no unified system,” participants noted.

Liudmyla Yaremchuk, engaged advocacy expert of the Legal Development Network, draws attention to another problem: “Services should be as simplified and accessible as possible, not understandable only to specialists. Legislation is scattered and disorients ordinary citizens.”

Consequently, there is an urgent need to update information about benefits, services, and support, as unreliable information on official resources generates distrust of institutions and organizations among veterans and their family members.

Employment problems are related not only to economic realities but also to insufficient readiness of employers to create inclusive conditions. People after injuries or with PTSD often cannot return to their previous profession, and the state must offer new paths — retraining, microgrants, flexible work formats.

Court Practice as a Path to Systemic Changes and Innovations to Help

Many experts emphasized: court is not a last resort, but an advocacy tool.

Inna Kolesnyk notes: “Court practice and judicial precedents are also a kind of advocacy. When this wave of lawsuits accumulates, the legislator understands that the law is not working and makes changes.”

This is how a law enforcement culture is formed, where the state begins to hear people not through public protests, but through arguments and court decisions.

Among the key innovations of recent years is the appearance of the veteran support specialist.

In the photo: Yaroslava Sulimova, Lawyer and Advocacy Specialist

Lawyer and advocacy specialist Yaroslava Sulimova explains:

“These changes are about ensuring veterans don’t remain alone with bureaucracy. Now the state is creating a system where information is not lost, and help comes faster and more clearly. Support specialists should become guides in matters that previously had to be resolved independently.”

This approach transforms state policy into a service model, where it’s important not only to adopt laws but also to support a person at every stage.

Practical Recommendations from Experts: Statuses, Procedures, and Guarantees

Combat Participant Status

According to the Law of Ukraine on the Status of War Veterans and Guarantees of Their Social Protection, the combat participant (UBD) status for the period from February 24 to March 25, 2022, is granted to:

• Persons who participated in the defense of Ukraine as part of volunteer formations;
• Civilians who, in accordance with special law, cooperated with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ministry of Internal Affairs, National Guard, State Border Guard Service, National Police, Security Service of Ukraine, and other military formations. An important condition is also that these persons were directly present in combat zones.

Exception: Staff employees of enterprises and institutions who operated directly within their job duties.

Application Procedure:

• Submission of documents through the veterans’ registry, Diia, or state portals;
• Main document—a certificate from the commander or volunteer formation;
• In the absence of a certificate—at least three notarized testimonies (for wounded persons—two witnesses + medical documents);
• The commission’s decision is made within 10 days after receiving documents;
• State agencies provide necessary documents within 15 days.

Access to Medical and Psychological Care. Treatment, Rehabilitation, and Medical Support

The National Health Service of Ukraine (NSZU) provides access to current information about healthcare providers, including psychological care. Through the interactive map on the website, you can:

• Select oblast and community;
• View healthcare providers, number of doctors by specialization (psychologist, psychiatrist, narcologist), and contact information for medical facilities;
• Check the availability of medical service packages paid for by NSZU, including psychological care.

It is recommended to use resources of central executive authorities, as well as support the work of the non-governmental sector: charitable and public organizations that provide expert assessments and help update the regulatory framework and information resources more quickly.

Free medicines, medical devices, immunobiological preparations, and rehabilitation aids are also provided for veterans and their family members. However, priority provision of medications is given to families of the fallen.

Individual rehabilitation programs have been introduced for all veterans, which are mandatory for implementation by government agencies and institutions.

Social Guarantees, Cash Payments, and Electronic Services

A one-time cash payment before Independence Day is provided for veterans, combat participants, persons with disabilities due to war, family members of the fallen, and victims of Nazi persecution. The amount and payment procedure are determined by the Cabinet of Ministers annually depending on the budget.

Veterans and family members of the fallen have the right to free legal aid regarding social protection, including document preparation and representation in courts, without paying court costs.

An electronic veteran’s certificate has been introduced to confirm status and receive benefits: a digital document with a QR code available through the “Diia” mobile application. The certificate contains all of a person’s statuses (combat participant, family member of the fallen) and has the same legal force as a paper document. The system allows avoiding duplication of statuses and ensures quick access to services.

Inna Kolesnyk also emphasizes that due to inaccuracies in legislation, certain difficulties may arise in legal support of veterans, military personnel or their families, as well as families of the fallen. However, it is important for specialists to show empathy and a genuine desire to help. According to the expert, this often becomes key in providing assistance.

Expert Liudmyla Yaremchuk recommends drawing information only from official sources, which will greatly simplify communication between government agencies and aid recipients.

• Website of the President of Ukraine and other state authorities — https://www.president.gov.ua/
• Website of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights — https://ombudsman.gov.ua/
• Website of the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine — https://www.msp.gov.ua/
• Website of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine — https://mva.gov.ua/
• Website of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine — https://moz.gov.ua/
• Website of the State Employment Service of Ukraine — https://dcz.gov.ua/
• Website of the Coordination Headquarters on Treatment of Prisoners of War — https://koordshtab.gov.ua/
• Website of the National Health Service of Ukraine — https://nszu.gov.ua/
• Website of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine — https://mod.gov.ua/
• https://eveteran.gov.ua/

The material was prepared by the Legal Development Network in partnership with the humanitarian organization People in Need and with financial support from the Czech Development Agency.

The conclusions and interpretations of collected information presented in the material are solely the position of the authors and do not reflect the opinions of the donors and project partners.

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