KYIV - Volodymyr Havrylov
- The Coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent introduction of quarantines and limitations on the movement of people have affected the rehabilitation and social integration programs of Ukrainian veterans. Ukraine currently has more than 300,000 individuals who saw combat action. More than 10,000 of them were wounded, including over 500 amputees. If their family members and relatives are added, that leaves a million Ukrainians directly affected by a war that has inflicted expected physical and psychological injuries.
Many veterans suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and this has negatively affected their adaptation to a normal life. There are instances of suicide and problems with alcohol and drugs among the veterans. Many of them are facing difficulties with housing and employment.
Although the state declares its readiness to deal with veterans’ problems in a systematic way, in reality it has so far proved unable to organize the government’s work in this area. In July 2019, a newly created Ministry for Veterans’ Affairs began to operate. Its leadership included a group of motivated veterans and volunteers who created a strategy for developing the ministry and initiated a series of projects for reforming the system for working with veterans in Ukraine.
However, following the appointment of the new government of Oleksiy Honcharuk at the beginning of September, the ministry was merged with the Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons. This placed an additional burden on the team of reformers and negatively impacted the implementation of the activities they had already begun.
On March 11 this year, the new government of Denys Shmyhal reversed the decision of its predecessor to unite these ministries and the former deputy head of the Chief of the General Staff, Serhiy Bessarab, was appointed head of the revived Ministry for Veterans’ Affairs. This change led to many activists and reformers leaving the ministry. The shortsightedness and lack of seriousness displayed by politicians meant that half a year was lost in which important changes could have been made in the way the state works with veterans.
The 2020 budget for the Ministry for Veterans’ Affairs should have been equivalent to approximately $36.5m. These funds were to be designated for psychological rehabilitation, the social and professional adaptation of veterans, material compensation to families of those killed in action, and monetary payments for temporary housing for temporarily displaced persons who had participated in the fighting in eastern Ukraine.
However, on April 13, the Ministry’s budget was reduced by approximately $5.5m because of the general budget cuts prompted by the pandemic. Especially hard hit was financial support for civil society projects and programs as well as support for programs providing housing for Afghan veterans.
All of this indicates that for the next few years the state will be unable to systematically involve itself in resolving veterans’ problems and that the main responsibility for dealing with this challenge will be shouldered by society, specifically the veterans and their families themselves.
A big plus is that civil society in Ukraine is quite mature and is sympathetic to the problems of veterans. It is actively involved in projects dealing with their rehabilitation and adaptation. Almost eight hundred various civic organizations and charities appeared in Ukraine after the conflict with Russia began in 2014. Many of them focus on veterans' affairs. And even if all of them are not active, the figure is nevertheless impressive.
Beginning in 2015 volunteers, activists, and veterans in Ukraine undertook hundreds of initiatives and projects for the psychological, physical, social and family rehabilitation of combat participants. It’s important to note that this activity encompasses every region of Ukraine. Most of this activity is performed on the basis of donations from private individuals, business and various charitable foundations.
Unfortunately, the pandemic led to the cancellation or postponement of many large public events involving veterans both in Ukraine and abroad. Under these conditions the veteran community in Ukraine has become actively involved in helping its fellow wounded and the families of those who were killed that require special care and attention.
For example, the Veterans Dozen Foundation together with the Society for the Legal Protection of Military Veterans initiated a project called “Crossing the Rubicon” that helps with the psychological and social rehabilitation of combat veterans. The project aims to involve veterans actively in providing relief in emergency situations (such as natural disasters, pandemics, etc.) in cooperation with local government agencies. The underlying philosophy is that working together as part of a brotherly team to help other people during a crisis is one of the most effective ways of overcoming PTSD.
At present, this project is operating in the Darnytsya district of Kyiv - one of areas most infected by the coronavirus. Almost three thousand veterans and more than fifty families who lost their breadwinners in the war with Russia live there. Many of them don't have either the money or capability to deal with everyday problems during the quarantine period and need special care and assistance. This relates to the provision of means of personal protection as well as food and medication. Veterans from “Crossing the Rubicon” provide this kind of help, talk with families of those killed, and provide moral support thereby promoting their own psychological rehabilitation.
Under conditions of limited resources, local state authorities have reacted positively towards any initiatives that involve volunteers and veterans providing relief in emergency situations. But they don’t have either the experience or the legal basis for effective cooperation with veterans’ organizations. Besides, officials are afraid of being held legally responsible should a volunteer or veteran get injured during any joint activities.
But given the impending economic crisis, the Ukrainian leadership has no option but to encourage the involvement of civil society - first and foremost volunteer and veteran groups - in dealing with the many problems of social security and safety for which the state simply lacks the resources.
Major General Volodymyr Havrylov served as Defense Attaché at the Ukrainian Embassy to the United States in 2015-2018. He is currently a Director of the Veterans Dozen Foundation and serves on the Board of Advisors to the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation.
