After returning from the service, veterans need care and support, from paperwork to counselling, rehabilitation and social services. Some of these tasks fall to local self-government bodies, while municipal institutions are bringing in specialists to support veterans in various life situations. It was necessary to explain where to start, how to build interaction and where to look for solutions in complex cases.
“Today, local self-government bodies are gaining more and more powers in the field of veteran policy, and this is a new and responsible stage for municipalities. Our task is to help them learn how these powers are exercised in practice and what a key role specialists who support veterans and discharged military personnel play,” said Rostyslav Savchenko, the Head of the Regional Office.
Municipalities received clarifications on the functions that specialists should perform, how the veteran route works, how to build cooperation between services and how to avoid bureaucratic hurdles. They discussed cooperation with Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centres and social protection services, as continuous support for military personnel after discharge is otherwise impossible. Effective cases of working with veterans and discharged military personnel were also explored, along with the possibility of scaling them up across municipalities of the oblast.
The role of specialists and veteran policy at the local level
Oksana Panova, the Head of the Department for Veterans Affairs of Sumy Oblast State Administration, emphasised that a specialist in supporting veterans and discharged military personnel is not just a job title, but a central figure in the municipality’s veteran ecosystem.
“A specialist must have a deep understanding of the needs of veterans and discharged military personnel, coordinate activities between various services and serve as a liaison between the system and the individual,” Ms Panova explained. “They help veterans get help quickly, pooling municipal resources and working to prevent bureaucratic obstacles. This approach enables municipalities to genuinely support those who have returned from service.”
She also spoke about various forms of support for veterans at the national and local levels, as well as the importance of interagency cooperation: “Every municipality should understand how the support system is structured, who is responsible for what, and how to provide the necessary assistance quickly. A veteran support specialist can be a key figure in this system.”
Studying veterans’ needs
Andriana Kostenko, PhD in Political Science with Sumy State University and the Head of the Centre for Social Research, presented the findings of a study on the needs of veterans and their families. Over 100 veterans in five districts of the oblast were interviewed, and their military experience, physical condition, social and psychological challenges, as well as problems in receiving support were analysed.
“This study showed that the veteran community in Sumy Oblast is an active social resource with enormous potential for municipal development. However, veterans face physical, psychological, social and economic challenges all at once, so their reintegration requires a comprehensive, systematic approach,” said Andriana Kostenko.
Recommendations for municipalities and the oblast
Based on the data collected, the Centre for Social Research of Sumy State University prepared a number of recommendations. At the regional level, they envisage updating the coordination council on veterans’ affairs, devising a veterans’ policy until 2030 based on people’s actual needs, and developing the regional veterans’ centre as an educational and methodological hub. It is also crucial to allocate financial support to veterans’ organisations and projects, monitor veterans’ needs and foster cooperation with universities, businesses and international partners to provide psychological support, training and employment opportunities.
Municipalities, as noted by Andriana Kostenko, should focus on creating a comprehensive “veteran ecosystem” where local self-government bodies, healthcare and educational facilities, social and cultural institutions, veteran and volunteer organisations work together. It is necessary to develop veteran centres, financially support organisations and projects, implement a unified veteran roadmap, expand support for specialists, create veteran spaces and promote adaptive sports, hold family events and foster communication with veterans, discharged personnel and their families.
“Creating a new position is not the hard part. The key thing is that support specialists actually help people navigate the system. This approach will help support those who have returned from service,” concluded Rostyslav Savchenko.
