Quality Healthcare, Development of Adequate Infrastructure, and Respect for Defenders — Priorities of Veteran Policy in the Tlumach Community

Publication date: May 1, 2025

Author: Yuliia Bilyk, Communications Manager at the Legal Development Network

In 2024, in cooperation with experts from the Vidnova project, the Tlumach Community of the Ivano-Frankivsk Region developed a comprehensive Support Program for service members and war veterans, their families, and the families of fallen and missing Defenders of Ukraine for 2025–2027. As part of the development of veteran policy in the community, a sociological survey was conducted to identify and analyze the needs of local residents, particularly veterans and their families. This article highlights the survey’s findings, which may serve as guidance for the community’s future steps.

About the Survey

The survey in the Tlumach Community was conducted during December 2024. A total of 294 people participated: 210 residents of 16 towns and villages of the community, 71 close relatives of combatants, and 13 veterans — ten of whom served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine both after 2014 and after the full-scale invasion in 2022.

“While conducting the survey in the Tlumach Community, we observed strong interest from residents in the topic of the research. One challenge our team faced was locating veterans to interview. Since the Tlumach Community is relatively small in terms of territory and population and includes many villages, it was difficult to find veterans in public places. However, we received assistance from the Veterans Affairs Office at the Tlumach City Council, which has established effective communication and a high level of trust with veterans,” said Mykhailo Danyshchuk, a specialist in facilitation, event moderation, mentoring, and expertise for community development in the Vidnova project in the Ivano-Frankivsk Region.

Given the small number of surveyed veterans, their responses should be viewed as indicative trends that require further verification.

The survey was conducted through interviews based on a questionnaire programmed for mobile devices. Most respondents communicated with interviewers directly — in a street interview format — while 14 completed the questionnaire online.

In addition to surveying community residents and interviewing veterans and their families, the study included facilitated meetings with key stakeholders. A particular focus of the study was placed on the level of satisfaction with basic social, psychological, and economic needs, access to services, and the degree of integration of veterans and their families into the community.

Relationships Do Not Improve After Veterans Return, and Their Families Do Not Always Feel Respected

The majority of respondents — 8 out of 10 — identified support for the Armed Forces as a funding priority for the local budget this year. Protecting life, health, and property from wartime threats was the top concern among residents of the Tlumach Community (38%). The second most common concern was the financial situation (33%).

There is a rather high demand among civilian residents for information on how to communicate with people who have combat experience — 53%. An overwhelming 98% of respondents support the introduction of traditions to honor veterans. Similarly, 97% expressed support for the following proposed forms of veteran support: the creation of preferential education programs for veterans, assistance in launching small businesses or self-employment, and the provision of preferential housing. A total of 77% of respondents expressed a personal interest in supporting veterans and the families of service members.

At the same time, when assessing their life circumstances, veterans of the Tlumach Community rated their relationships with close relatives and housing conditions the highest. Overall, veterans had a positive perception of their relationships with neighbors, colleagues, and acquaintances.

“Compared to the neighboring Kolomyia Community, where relationships with both close and not-so-close individuals ranked highest, the situation in the Tlumach Community is somewhat different. Here, relationships with neighbors, colleagues, and acquaintances are slightly weaker. What is important to consider is that in no community did veterans’ relationships with others improve after returning. In the best-case scenario, they remained the same. But for many veterans, their relationships deteriorated after coming back,” emphasized Maryna Shpiker, sociologist and coordinator of the comprehensive research teams.

In most cases, veteran status is not met with a clear public attitude — neither support nor stigma.

“Based on the survey results in two communities of the Ivano-Frankivsk Region, we observe a certain trend: more often than not, veterans feel a neutral attitude toward themselves. However, they are still more likely to feel respected than disrespected,” noted Maryna Shpiker.

As for the families of veterans, they are less likely than the families of active service members to feel respected due to the fact that their loved ones served in the defense of the country. Moreover, relatives of veterans tend to assess various aspects of their discharged family members’ lives more pessimistically — particularly in terms of relationships with close and distant circles, opportunities for self-realization, and their economic situation.

Volunteers Are the Primary Providers of Support

Three-quarters of respondents were able to name at least one provider of support for veterans and military families in the community. The most commonly mentioned were volunteers (54%), followed by the city council (41%).

“Among the support providers, volunteers are in first place, followed by the city council. These findings are consistent with the results of the survey in the Kolomyia Community. However, in the Tlumach Community, respondents mentioned civil society and international organizations, as well as religious communities, less frequently than in the Kolomyia Community,” commented Maryna Shpiker.

For most of the surveyed veterans, the most pressing needs relate to social support and financial assistance, medical services, recreation, wellness, and psychological support.

“According to the responses from veterans in the Tlumach Community, they are concerned about their health, and the availability and quality of medical services. They are often dissatisfied with their interactions with public healthcare facilities and emphasize that the medical sector in the community needs strengthening. This is a major pain point for them,” emphasized Maryna Shpiker.

According to the survey, the key barrier to providing veterans with medical treatment, rehabilitation, wellness, recreation, and sports opportunities is the lack of resources and inadequate infrastructure in the Tlumach Community.

Residents Are More Likely to Seek Help from State and Municipal Institutions than from Non-Governmental Ones

One interesting survey finding is that most of the veterans surveyed are more willing to seek the services available to them from local government bodies and municipal institutions than from non-governmental (civil society, international, or private) organizations: 11 out of 13 veterans preferred public institutions, while only 5 out of 13 indicated a willingness to turn to non-governmental providers.

“Half of the surveyed veterans are unwilling to seek assistance from non-governmental organizations, which may indicate a tendency toward mistrust or a lack of positive experience in interacting with civil society and charitable organizations. This factor should be taken into account when shaping veteran policy to avoid situations in which community residents, for various reasons, do not respond to offers of support from NGOs,” noted Maryna Shpiker.

At the same time, 73% of surveyed family members of veterans, 74% of families of the missing and fallen, and 59% of family members of active service members said they were willing to seek services from non-governmental organizations.

Financial Situation of Service Members’ Families Is Relatively More Stable Than That of Veterans’ Families

The most common needs among families of combatants are:

• psychological support (31%);
• financial assistance (30%);
• medical treatment and wellness (18%);
• help with household chores (18%).

The survey showed that families of service members are in a somewhat better financial situation, especially compared to veterans’ families. A total of 41% of respondents from such families said they did not need support. This is likely explained by the fact that the primary source of income for service members’ households is the earnings of civilian family members — often the salary of the military service member. Families of defenders most often described their financial situation with the statement: “We always have enough money for food and clothing, but we cannot always afford home electronics or other expensive goods” (45%).

Families of veterans more frequently require medical treatment, wellness, and employment support. Families of the missing and fallen show greater demand for legal assistance.

Families of Missing and Fallen Defenders Report the Highest Level of Attention from Local Self-Government Bodies

Creating the opportunity to receive services in one place based on the “one-stop shop” principle or online; establishing veteran spaces where individuals can receive consultations, guidance, and attend events; and ensuring barrier-free and inclusive access in public spaces — these were the most commonly cited ways by veterans to improve the delivery of public services. Less frequently mentioned improvements included receiving services at home, training professionals to work with veterans, and having “veteran assistants” for individual support.

“Communities often focus on developing the ‘veteran assistant’ service. However, surveys in the Tlumach Community and other locations where the study was conducted show that this option ranks low on the hierarchy of veterans’ preferences. Perhaps there is a degree of skepticism toward this service, or it has not yet been fully understood or appreciated. This issue requires further study,” noted Maryna Shpiker.

The majority of surveyed families of service members (63%) responded that they had not received any assistance. Only 20% of combatants’ family members reported receiving assistance from local self-government bodies, 17% from state authorities, 7% from individuals (colleagues, neighbors, acquaintances, relatives), 4% from non-governmental organizations, and 3% from entrepreneurs. Only 31% of surveyed relatives of service members and 45% of relatives of veterans reported feeling attention from local self-government bodies.

It is noteworthy that none of the surveyed family members of service members had received support from non-governmental organizations, and the families of veterans had not received support from local self-government bodies. Family members of the missing and fallen were less likely than others to say they had not received any support at all. They felt the highest level of attention from local self-government to their family’s needs (49%).

According to the data, fewer than half of families either feel or partially feel that their needs are being addressed by local self-government bodies. At the same time, families of combatants are generally willing to seek services designated for them from local self-government bodies and municipal institutions in the community. Families of the missing and fallen are the most willing to do so.

Conclusions

The year 2025 should be a year of developing and implementing effective decisions in the Tlumach Community to improve veteran policy. As the survey results have shown, the community must seek opportunities and resources to ensure that veterans, service members, and their families feel safe — primarily in terms of economic stability and the ability to meet their basic needs: medical treatment, rehabilitation, wellness, and physical development.

Comparing the Tlumach and Kolomyia communities, where veteran policy was studied within the Vidnova project, Mykhailo Danyshchuk noted: “Each community faces its own challenges depending on the population size and composition, as well as its economic characteristics. The Tlumach Community has always been an agricultural community, and it still is. Because of this, local self-government often lacks the resources to implement all planned initiatives. A strategic and well-considered approach can help the community gain more benefits from this ‘specialization.’”

According to Mykhailo Danyshchuk, the Tlumach Community has high potential in engaging youth in the implementation of strategic plans. Like Kolomyia, the community also has a strong demand for skills in project writing and management.

“These skills are now essential, as they enable local self-government bodies, municipal institutions, and enterprises to attract additional funding and implement high-quality projects, thereby giving the community new momentum for development,” emphasized Mykhailo Danyshchuk.

The material and sociological survey were prepared by the Legal Development Network in cooperation with the humanitarian organization People in Need and with funding from the Czech Development Agency. The views expressed and the interpretation of the collected information are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the donors and project partners.

Infographics — Maryna Shpiker

Related publications:

• Unmet Needs and Tension Points in Veteran Policy of the Kolomyia Community — Findings of the Sociological Survey

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