Ukraine Will Reintegrate Millions of Veterans. They Can Drive the Country’s Recovery.

By the end of the war, the number of veterans and their family members in Ukraine may total 6 million. Their reintegration could boost Ukraine’s resilience, or introduce instability, depending on how the country chooses to address it.

Veterans—having served across Ukraine, and a living embodiment of its endurance—are uniquely placed to understand the diverse needs of communities trying to pick up the pieces.

Despite Russian narratives portraying Ukrainian veterans as security threats to Ukraine and to the EU, Ukrainian polls indicate that the Armed Forces remains one of the country’s most trusted institutions. Many veterans are already playing key roles in politics, business, and civil society, including establishing civic organizations and veteran associations.

Still, Ukrainian veterans face real challenges: physical and mental scars, barriers to housing, employment, and education, and difficulty reintegrating back home.

Today, service providers, families, communities, and veterans themselves are working to shape the country’s new veteran reintegration strategy. We spoke about its challenges and opportunities with three Ukrainians—a former prisoner of war, the head of a rehabilitation clinic, and a former minister of veterans affairs.

It looks like ‘mission impossible,’ but it needs to be done

Maksym Butkevych
Veteran, former prisoner of war, human rights defender, journalist

I had never imagined I would join the military. But when the war started in 2014, I realized that I’m only able to do my work as a human rights defender because of those on the frontline.

When the full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022, I volunteered to join that evening while battles were raging around Kyiv. I knew that if Russia prevailed, there would be no human rights to defend—and everything that we had achieved through campaigning, protests, and education would be erased.

In captivity you don’t belong to yourself; you are turned into an object. Our captors told us all the time that we had been forgotten by people outside, but I told my brothers-in-arms that it wasn’t true.

Upon being released, it takes several days to regain a basic sense of control over your life. But some consequences of captivity manifest themselves months or years later. After the initial reintegration stage, many former POWs require psychological support, which is, at the moment, mostly provided by NGOs. The demand is currently much greater than the help available.

No other country in Europe since World War II has faced such a challenge to reintegrate millions of veterans into civilian life. Sometimes, it looks like mission impossible because of the huge demands on resources. But it needs to be done. With the wealth of experience they have accumulated, veterans can be a driving force of change for Ukraine.

Veterans are committed to seeing Ukraine prosperous and believe that their country’s destiny is their responsibility. That’s why they joined the defense forces in the first place. 

Our patients practice yoga between battle positions

Kseniia Voznitsyna
Chief Doctor at the Lisova Poliana Veterans Mental Health and Rehabilitation Center

We have been treating the invisible wounds of Ukraine’s veterans and soldiers since 2014. Before the full-scale invasion, we helped most veterans return to work and general civilian life. Now, 90 percent of people we treat are still serving, so we need to provide support before returning them to battle.

Due to the massive amount of artillery Russia uses, post-concussion syndrome and mild traumatic brain injuries are common. We call them “the signatures of war.” The new era of drone warfare is particularly psychologically challenging with the constant noise, anxiety, and the feeling that you are being targeted by an entire swarm.

With insufficient rotations and vacation, people experience deep battle fatigue. Yet people discharged on health grounds find it hard to get a job, particularly if they don’t have the right educational background. There are a high number of divorces and family issues. Relationships at home are strained.

Trauma exists not just in the mind but throughout the body, so we approach therapy holistically. We provide soldiers with skills to help them manage their conditions, which they can bring with them to the frontline. We also support former prisoners of war who have suffered deep trauma from their time in captivity.

We use many methods, from psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy to ketamine-assisted therapy, with complementary methods like acupuncture, art, and gardening. Our patients do mindfulness yoga classes every day. Some inform us that they continue to practice it in between taking battle positions.

As a learning hub, half of our work is treatment. The other half is training specialists from across Ukraine, from doctors to prosecutors, on how to interact with veterans.

There will always be Russian disinformation narratives that disparage our veterans, but we just continue to highlight their achievements: how they are creating support groups, businesses, and NGOs themselves. There are former prisoners of war who receive psychological support from us, pursue higher education, and now work alongside us as peers.

We are not surprised when patients recover; we like to expect it. It’s the result of hard work paying off.

Veterans are not just consumers of benefits

Oksana Koliada
Chairwoman of the Board of the NGO Opportunities Space and leader of the Coalition of Veteran Spaces, former Minister of Veterans Affairs, retired colonel

When the full-scale invasion began, my husband went to fight. We had an eight-month-old baby, two more kids, and a business to run. Through my network, I knew where to ask for help, but most people didn’t have that opportunity. Now I’m working to ensure that all veterans have access to comprehensive support systems.

In Ukraine, we have a new profession: the veteran accompaniment specialist. These are advisors who counsel veterans and their families and help them obtain services like housing, rehabilitation, and employment. We are also developing mobile groups to reach veterans who are far from urban areas.

We are advocating for the fair treatment of veterans designated as reservists, who can be called up anytime. It’s a complicated task because we want reservists to adapt back into society, but they still have to do military exercises several months of the year. It’s hard for reservists to maintain a household and a job, because any moment they could be uprooted if the call comes.

With the right support, veterans can lead fulfilling lives. I think of Dmytro Kozatsky, the veteran who published iconic photographs while defending the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol before being captured by Russian forces. Dmytro is now helping veterans find jobs in the defense industry. One of our deputy ministers lost part of his leg when his vehicle was struck by an anti-tank mine; he now helps lead the country’s demining efforts. Another former colleague lost both hands and one eye after repelling a grenade attack on his unit while defending Donetsk airport—he now writes books, runs marathons, and works with veterans’ organizations.

Veterans will return in huge numbers after the war. We are working with communities to prepare them and reduce tensions. I don’t want veterans just to be seen as consumers of benefits but as people with very relevant experience who can continue to contribute to our security.