Five ways to support Ukrainian war veterans as a foreigner
Russia has been waging war against Ukraine for more than ten years, robbing Ukrainians of their livelihoods, homes, and their loved ones. In the spring of 2014, when it launched its first invasion of Ukraine, occupying Crimea and secretly taking over the eastern regions of Donbas under the disguise of its proxies, ordinary Ukrainian men and women took up arms as volunteer fighters to protect their country. Since 2022, they've continued repelling the enemy on the front lines, with many more Ukrainians who joined the army ranks during the full-scale war.
After two years of the large-scale Russian invasion, the number of Ukrainian war veterans grew from 500,000 to over 1.2 million and is expected to skyrocket to 5 million people. As the war continues, Ukrainian veterans and their families experience more challenges, like issues with their mental and physical health, employment and money, and reintegration into civilian life. While the Ukrainian civil society and government are working to meet soldiers' needs, they still lack enough resources to fully support Ukrainian veterans.
How to help Ukrainian veterans: Ukrainian war veterans were captured by photographer and veteran Dmytro Kozatskyi for a photo project: "Veterans are different. Victory is one." Photo: Ukrainian Veterans Foundation
That's where you come in. If you've been standing with Ukraine throughout the full-scale war and are looking for a meaningful way to continue your support, helping Ukrainian war veterans who'll play a key role in rebuilding their country and shaping its future is a powerful step to do that. Rubryka has put together five impactful ways you can support Ukraine's heroes.
1. Donate to reputable Ukrainian veteran support organizations
How to help Ukrainian veterans: Veteran Hub support manager consults a former Ukrainian soldier. Photo: Pinchuk Art Fund
Many veterans start over their lives from scratch after finishing their service, so they and their families need support in many aspects. The study of the Ukrainian Veteran Foundation, which surveyed Ukrainian veterans to find out and analyze their needs in 2023, found that former service members most needed financial (50.2%), healthcare (18.2%), social (8.9%), psychological (7.1%), and legal and educational (4.9%) support at the time of the poll.
The easiest way for a foreigner to help Ukrainian war veterans — when the list of their needs may seem overwhelming — is to donate to trustworthy organizations that can provide multifaceted support to former soldiers. For instance, Veteran Hub, a reputable Ukrainian nonprofit, created a network for war veterans and their loved ones to help them navigate life during and after military service. Besides offering legal aid and mental health assistance, the NGO hosts free support groups and leads a team of support managers who work closely with veterans to assess their needs and create personalized action plans.
Other organizations you can support:
- Blue Bird is an NGO that provides comprehensive social, medical, humanitarian, psychological, and legal assistance to people who survived Russian captivity, their families, and the families of the missing and fallen soldiers. You can donate to the organization here.
- After Service Foundation helps Ukrainian war veterans with treatment, rehabilitation, education, retraining, employment, and psychological and legal issues. To donate, click here.
- Veteranka, or Ukrainian Women Veteran Movement, protects women's rights in the army and helps female veterans with social, physical, and psychological rehabilitation. You can support them here.
- Superhumans Center provides free prosthetics and rehabilitation services for both soldiers and civilians. Your donation can help more veterans get advanced medical treatments and open more centers around Ukraine.
- Prostir Mozhlivostey (Space of Opportunities) is a Ukrainian nonprofit that prepares Ukrainian communities for veterans' return, offers training to businesses hiring veterans, and helps them create veteran-focused policies.
2. Offer education and training
Support Ukrainian veterans: Two former soldiers in the welcoming space of the Veteran Hub. Photo: Pinchuk Charity Fund
According to the Ukrainian Veteran Foundation's research, 52% of the surveyed Ukrainian veterans believe that after they finish service, most of them will lose the qualifications and skills they got during their civilian life and will need additional training. Meanwhile, 64% of Ukrainian war veterans — often between the ages of 30 and 45 — want to become entrepreneurs because they want to apply the skills and ideas they've developed during the war or learn new ones to start their own businesses.
Offering scholarships or access to courses in business, technology, and other fields is another impactful way to help them realize those aspirations. Foreign universities and online platforms can grant scholarships specifically for Ukrainian war veterans and offer remote learning options to those unable to travel due to ongoing recovery or family commitments. Business owners can share expertise and skills through masterclasses, lectures, or seminars online or offline if wanted. By investing in the education of Ukrainian veterans, foreigners can help them rebuild the lives of many Ukrainian families and also contribute to Ukraine's economic recovery.
3. Offer job opportunities and career mentoring
How to help Ukrainian veterans: According to the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, soldiers are not only professional service members but also entrepreneurs, educators, IT workers, construction workers, and more. Photo: Getty Images
Ukraine's deputy veteran affairs minister, Maksym Kushnir, recently stated that only 10-15% of Ukrainian veterans will retire after returning from the war, and more than half will need employment after reintegrating into civilian life. While a large majority would prefer to start their businesses, around 20% of Ukrainian war veterans reported actively seeking employment and needing more support finding jobs.
Research shows veterans often struggle to find work after their military service. In a survey conducted in May 2024, 30% of Ukrainian veterans said they could not find work. Foreign companies or business owners can improve the situation by proposing jobs or creating veteran-specific hiring programs with remote work options suitable for recovering soldiers. Experienced professionals can mentor veterans, guide them in their career paths, and give them more confidence in their new civilian jobs. Given that veterans gain a lot of experience in advanced technologies, strategy planning, and more, they have much to offer — a win-win for vets and employers.
4. Support healthcare initiatives — rehabilitation and prosthetics
Support Ukrainian veterans: Superhumans Center welcomes between 50 and 60 patients daily. Photo: Adrien Vautier/Le Monde
Healthcare remains a sore subject and a key area where Ukrainian veterans need more substantial support, especially in rehabilitation and prosthetics. A 2023 study revealed that over 53% of veterans expect to need ongoing health assistance. Ukrainian vets shared they need better access to prosthetics, treatment of complex injuries abroad, and specialized care for conditions like PTSD and concussions.
Veterans participating in the study's focus groups also noted another gap in Ukraine's healthcare system. They believe Ukraine needs to develop often overlooked health resort treatment, a combination of physical therapy, psychological support, and relaxation, which helps cope with long-term physical and emotional trauma.
International supporters — foreign healthcare providers, organizations, or resort owners — can help by funding treatments and rehabilitation, donating equipment, or inviting Ukrainian war veterans abroad to local clinics for prosthetics and wellness retreats for relaxation. A great example is the Wild Bear Vets program in Canada, founded by former war correspondent Julius Strauss, who invites veterans to the forests of British Columbia for nature-based rehabilitation. Such initiatives address gaps in Ukrainian healthcare and contribute to the long-term recovery of Ukrainian veterans reintegrating into society.
5. Teach Ukrainian specialists and share expertise
How to help Ukrainian veterans: Almost 40 prosthetic specialists were trained at the UNBROKEN Prosthetics and Orthotics Center in Lviv, Ukraine. Photo: Lviv City Council
Due to the full-scale war and refugee crisis it caused, Ukraine experienced a shortage of doctors and other trained professionals who could treat the complex injuries of Ukrainian veterans, including physical and mental trauma, PTSD, and concussions. For instance, the growing demand for advanced prosthetics has demonstrated that Ukraine urgently needs more skilled rehabilitation and prosthetic specialists. According to the Protez Hub study, 80% of the surveyed prosthetic companies in Ukraine said it was difficult for them to find new qualified workers. The country also lacks mental healthcare providers, having, on average, one psychologist and five psychiatrists per 100,000.
One of the most sustainable ways to support Ukrainian veterans as foreigners is to train Ukrainian specialists in prosthetics, rehabilitation, and mental healthcare. Foreign experts in these fields can share their knowledge and experience with Ukrainian doctors, psychologists, and therapists. Organizations can help Ukrainian clinics through training programs and workshops to better serve veterans long-term. This kind of assistance relieves the burden from Ukraine's overloaded healthcare system and makes a lasting impact on the lives of Ukrainian veterans.
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