Kyiv, 20 August 2026, — Communities across eight oblasts of Ukraine have completed a series of 24 strategic planning sessions, to develop plans and recommendations for local programmes to reintegrate veterans.

The series of strategic sessions was organized as part of the flagship EU4Recovery partnership between the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), co-funded by the Government of Sweden, and with support from the Government of Denmark.

The sessions took place in Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Mykolaiv oblasts as part of UNDP’s Area-Based Recovery approach. The approach helps communities design integrated solutions that combine stronger local service delivery, enhanced institutional capacity and comprehensive support for veterans. Participants assessed existing resources and challenges, identified priority needs and developed recommendations adapted to their local contexts.

The strategic planning process brought together representatives of local authorities and communities; veteran support specialists;veterans, families of those deceased, missing or held in captivity; representatives of veterans’ civil society organizations; andprofessionals from the social, health care, and legal sectors. In total, 675 participants took part in the sessions.

The primary objective was to develop plans and recommendations for local veterans’ reintegration programmes and strengthen coordination among all service providers, including local governments, Territorial Centres for Recruitment and Social Support, Administrative Service Centres (ASCs), health care institutions, employment services, social service providers and civil society organizations. 

The resulting action plans will help communities move from fragmented assistance to comprehensive local reintegration systems, where institutions work in a coordinated manner and veterans and their families can access the support they need without unnecessary barriers. Based on the outcomes of the strategic sessions, communities identified several priority actions to implement by the end of 2028:

• Strengthen local governance of veterans’ policy by establishing advisory bodies, including veterans’ reintegration councils, reinforcing dedicated municipal units and building the capacity of local government staff.
• Introduce coordinated veterans’ support pathways from the first point of contact to the delivery of services, including a single entry point to coordinate assistance across all service providers.
• Expand the network of veterans’ centres as community hubs where veterans and their families can access services, receive advice, connect with specialists and participate in community life.
• Increase opportunities for economic reintegration through support for veteran entrepreneurship, vocational retraining, employment and business development.
• Make communities more accessible and barrier-free, including by engaging veterans in assessing the accessibility of public spaces and strengthening local accessibility policies.
• Enhance psychosocial support, expand peer-to-peer assistance, and implement public awareness campaigns that promote respect for veterans and their contribution to society.

Vitalii Kim, Minister for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, noted that communities play a key role in the reintegration of veterans at local level. “Developing reintegration plans with the direct participation of veterans is effective when the process advances in parallel at both the local and national levels,” the Minister emphasized. “It is very important for us to shape national policies that directly respond to the real needs of society. We believe that strategic sessions such as these are one of the effective mechanisms for achieving this goal.”

Henrik Huitfeldt, Acting Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Ukraine, highlighted the role of veterans in the life and development of communities across Ukraine. “Veterans have a vital role to play in Ukraine’s communities and in shaping their future,” Mr. Huitfeldt said. “Their reintegration should be developed with veterans, not simply for them. Through EU4Recovery and other programmes, the European Union supports local initiatives that help veterans return to civilian life, take part in community decision-making, start businesses, and find jobs. Their skills, experience and commitment can help strengthen the communities they return to.”

Jakob Torrild Hansen, Head of the Danish Embassy Office in Mykolaiv, stressed that effective reintegration solutions must reflect the needs of each individual community. “The needs of veterans, just like the capacity of communities to support them, vary from place to place,” said Mr. Hansen. “The most effective solutions therefore emerge at local level — through dialogue with veterans, local authorities, civil society organizations and service providers. This approach helps communities build support systems that respond to local realities and where they are needed most.”

Auke Lootsma, UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine, noted that the key priority for UNDP and its partners is to build a coordinated local support system for veterans. “Veterans should not have to navigate dozens of institutions in search of assistance,” said Mr. Lootsma. “Our aim is to help communities build coordinated systems where all services work together in a coordinated manner, ensuring that people receive the support they need, when they need it, and without unnecessary barriers. “A community-based reintegration approach that is firmly rooted in the needs of local communities is what makes reintegration successful and sustainable in the long term.”

Media enquiries:

Yuliia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Head of Communications and Advocacy; e-mail: yuliia.samus@undp.org