Almost 400,000 veterans who fought on the Ukrainian side in Donbas have since returned to communities all over the country. These former soldiers constitute an important societal and political stakeholder. While Ukraine is simultaneously struggling with internal reforms and Russian destabilization efforts, the reintegration of these veterans constitutes a critical determinant for the country’s future.

​​​​​​​Reintegration of veterans in Ukrainian society is the topic of the research, conducted by Julia Friedrich and Theresa Luetkefend from Global Public Policy Institute (Berlin). The main focus of the work is the current state of reintegration of veterans, the problems they face, as well as recommendations on how to solve these problems.

​​​​​​​As part of the study, 3 focus groups were conducted with veterans in different regions of Ukraine, as well as more than 30 separate interviews with veterans, representatives of civil society and government. The study aims to help draw public attention to veteran issues and identify ways to address some of their problems with the support of civil society, local authorities and external partners.