Artem Buzalov had built a career as a sports tourism coach in Rubizhne, Luhansk Oblast, before signing a military contract in 2021. In May 2022, he sustained a mine blast injury to his legs in Donetsk Oblast, which left him unconscious in a Dnipro hospital’s intensive care unit for several days. Buzalov says his life has now been split into “before” and “after” his injury. 

“My life changed completely,” the veteran explains. “Between 2022 and 2024, I travelled across the country, going from hospital to hospital. Then, I was sent for treatment in Sweden, where I spent 10 months. That’s where they got me back on my feet.” 

In total, Buzalov underwent 25 operations and was assigned second-degree disability status. On returning to Ukraine, he settled in Chernivtsi, where his mother had fled to escape occupation. She herself had been diagnosed with late-stage bowel cancer and was receiving treatment at the local oncology centre and residing in a modular housing community. 

“We were both undergoing treatment at the same time: she was receiving chemotherapy and having operations, while I was also in the hospital. We could only talk by phone as neither of us could visit the other,” Buzalov recalls. 

Buzalov’s mother first met the specialists from the “Rokada” charitable foundation while living in the modular town in Chernivtsi. They first assisted her, and after her death in autumn 2024, they extended their support to Buzalov. 

“They literally took me by the hand and guided me through various institutions,” Buzalov says. “For example, they helped me apply for a pension and other benefits, find a family doctor, and get orthopaedic shoes since my feet are now different sizes after the injury.” 

Olesia Mykhailiuk, a member of “Rokada,” notes that when they first met Buzalov, he was “discouraged and withdrawn.” However, after a seven-day retreat, they began to see positive changes. “Now his eyes are shining, he’s making plans for the future, and he has returned to his hobbies,” Mykhailiuk says. 

“Rokada” specialists developed a personalized social reintegration plan together with Buzalov. It also included assistance with housing and benefits applications, providing consultations and group therapy, and supporting his job search and retraining. To provide this assistance, “Rokada” secured a grant from the EU and UNDP as part of the flagship “EU4Recovery – Empowering Communities in Ukraine” partnership. 

This support was part of a pilot programme for the social adaptation of veterans implemented by UNDP in cooperation with Ukraine’s Ministry of Social Policy. The programme takes a comprehensive approach, offering rehabilitation services in specialized centres staffed with psychologists and social workers, alongside social adaptation support to facilitate veterans’ transition to civilian life. The pilot initiative has served 190 veterans and their family members in Chernivtsi, Dnipropetrovsk, and Poltava oblasts.