Originally published in The New Voice of Ukraine.

When Oleksandr returned from military service, he found the transition to civilian life difficult. Severely injured in combat, he struggled to find work that matched his physical needs. The sense of purpose he had found in serving his country seemed lost.

Yet today, Oleksandr is a sought-after IT specialist. Through a reskilling programme supported by international partners, he gained new skills and secured a job that suited his new reality.

His story reflects the resilience of thousands of Ukrainian veterans. The fight for Ukraine does not end on the battlefield. It continues in the effort to rebuild lives, families, and communities.

Ukraine’s veterans, many living with life-changing injuries, continue to need support long after demobilisation. Reintegration is about restoring dignity, creating opportunities, and helping veterans become leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, and active members of their communities once again.

The scale of the task is enormous. As of September 2026, some 1.5 million veterans were registered in Ukraine, 39% of whom are under 35. After the war the number of people needing support could reach 5-6 million people if you include family members, which is up to one-fifth of the population. Supporting veterans’ return to civilian life is thus not only a social responsibility – it is essential for Ukraine’s recovery, governance, and economic development.

Veterans have already demonstrated their commitment to Ukraine. They bring leadership, discipline, resilience, and a strong sense of civic duty. With the right support, they can also help drive economic growth, strengthen communities, and advance local development.

Since 2019, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine has worked with the Government of Ukraine to strengthen reintegration systems that connect services, jobs, digital solutions, and community engagement.

Turning Challenges into Opportunities

A UNDP-supported study highlights both the challenges veterans face and the strengths they bring.

The needs are substantial. Seventy-one percent of veterans report living with a physical injury, while one in three shows symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Many still face fragmented services, complicated procedures, and long waiting times. Employment is another challenge, with 41% of veterans under 60 reporting difficulties in finding or keeping a job.

At the same time, veterans possess valuable skills and qualities. Military service builds responsibility, leadership, and teamwork. Veterans show high levels of civic engagement and a lower tolerance for corruption. They also demonstrate strong entrepreneurial ambition, with one in four interested in starting a business.

The message is clear: veterans are key actors in Ukraine’s recovery and development.

Reintegration Starts in Communities

The Ministry of Veterans Affairs, together with civil society and international partners, has promoted a community-based approach to reintegration. Since 2019, UNDP has supported this model, which brings together healthcare, rehabilitation, mental health services, education, employment, social protection, legal assistance, and community participation, while strengthening youth work as part of veterans’ reintegration through partnerships and referral pathways.

Strong local systems are central to this effort. Across nine oblasts, veteran spaces offer integrated services and provide places where veterans and their families can connect, seek support, and create new opportunities. These centres foster belonging, peer support, and community engagement.

In Sumy Oblast, for example, veterans Mykola and Serhii, both of whom lost limbs in combat, established a veteran-led space with adaptive sports equipment. The initiative helps veterans regain physical strength and rebuild the camaraderie many miss after military service.

Another example is Artem, a veteran displaced from Rubizhne in Luhansk Oblast. After suffering severe injuries and personal loss, he struggled with isolation. But with therapy and employment support provided through a local organisation, he is rebuilding his confidence and planning for the future.

Beyond veteran spaces, UNDP has also supported rehabilitation services, social adaptation programmes, and psychosocial support systems. Healthcare workers, psychologists, social workers, youth workers, and local service providers are being trained to respond to the evolving needs of veterans and their families.

Making Support Easier to Access

Digital tools are making services more accessible.

Together with the Government of Ukraine, UNDP has supported the development and launch of more than 15 digital services through the Diia and e-Veteran platforms. These tools simplify access to benefits, reduce bureaucracy, and  make support easier to access without repeated in-person visits.

The need for simpler services is clear. After returning from treatment abroad, veteran Artem Buzalov faced a maze of applications and administrative procedures to access pensions, benefits, healthcare, and rehabilitation support. “They literally took me by the hand and guided me through various institutions,” he recalls of the support he received. Veteran support specialists and social workers helped him navigate the paperwork, but the process often involved repeated visits and bureaucratic hurdles. His experience reflects a challenge many veterans face as they rebuild their lives.

One of the most widely used innovations is the electronic veteran ID in Diia, which removes the need for paper documents and simplifies interactions with public services. Veteran PRO, a dedicated section in the Diia app, brings key services for veterans together in one place. By moving services online and reducing administrative burdens, digital solutions help veterans spend less time navigating systems and more time focusing on recovery, employment, and their future.

Creating Economic Opportunities

Economic inclusion is essential for successful reintegration.

To help veterans start and grow businesses, UNDP, together with the Ministry of Digital Transformation, launched the Trajectory education and grant programme. The initiative provides training, mentoring, and financial support. In 2025 alone, 118 participants received grants to start or expand their businesses.

Employment is equally important. UNDP is helping veterans access jobs in sectors that are critical to Ukraine’s recovery. One example is humanitarian mine action, which helps make land safe again while also creating meaningful jobs.

Specialised training prepares veterans, including those with disabilities, for roles in image analysis, geospatial data interpretation, mine risk education, and the operation of advanced demining equipment. UNDP also developed and launched a practical guide to help mine action operators build more inclusive workplaces and strengthen pathways for veterans to enter and remain in the sector.  Through its mine action programme, UNDP has helped train and create employment opportunities for more than 100 veterans and family members with mine action operators.

For many veterans, these opportunities offer a chance to build a new future. Serhii Popov knows this firsthand. After losing his right arm and suffering other serious injuries during the war, he struggled to find work. “It was very difficult to find work,” he recalls. “With my limitations, I couldn’t even get loader or security jobs.” It was through a humanitarian deminer training programme that Serhii found a new purpose. He went on to teach mine safety and support the preparation of land for clearance, contributing to Ukraine’s recovery while building a new civilian career for himself.

His story shows that veterans continue serving their country long after they leave the military. By helping clear land for agriculture, housing, infrastructure, and business activity, they are opening the way for recovery while creating stable livelihoods for themselves and their families.

Investing in Ukraine’s Future

Reintegration is not only about helping veterans adjust to civilian life. It is about helping them thrive.

By investing in community services, training, entrepreneurship, jobs, rehabilitation, psychosocial support, and digital innovation, Ukraine is building a stronger foundation for long-term recovery. These investments benefit veterans, their families, local economies, and communities as a whole.

Supporting veterans is an investment in Ukraine’s future. It unlocks the potential of a generation of leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, and changemakers whose resilience and dedication will help drive recovery for years to come.

Because Ukraine’s veterans are not only heroes of the past.

They are builders of Ukraine’s future.

* These efforts are made possible through the leadership of the Government of Ukraine and the support of international partners committed to Ukraine’s recovery, including the European Union through the EU4Recovery programme, and the governments of Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland.