Over 1.7 million veterans and a housing shortage: The Ministry of Veterans Affairs has released new data on support for veterans
6 April 17:44
ANALYSIS FROM 
As of March 2026, more than 1.76 million war veterans were officially registered in Ukraine. These figures were provided by the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine in response to a request from the publication "Komersant Ukrainian". The editorial team analyzed the ministry’s response regarding key aspects of reintegration: from housing to psychological support and employment.
Housing: Plans for 2026
Between 2020 and 2025, the state paid monetary compensation for the purchase of housing to 10,991 individuals ( veterans and family members of the deceased). It is worth noting that in 2022, payments were completely suspended due to the allocation of funds to the reserve fund for defense needs.
For the current year 2026, the budget plans are as follows:
- UAH 5.67 billion has been allocated for the compensation payment program.
- These funds will provide housing for approximately 1,969 people.
- Priority is given to individuals with Group I-II disabilities resulting from the war and to the families of fallen defenders.
Psychological Rehabilitation and “Stigma”
The ministry acknowledges that it is impossible to calculate the exact number of veterans in need of psychological support. The main reasons are that services are provided through the non-governmental sector (volunteer and international programs) and the stigma present in society, which causes combatants to avoid seeking help from specialists.
“The existing programs and resources are currently insufficient to fully meet the needs. There is a lack of funding and qualified specialists amid a rapid increase in the number of those requiring assistance,” the Ministry of Veterans notes.
Nevertheless, statistics for 2025 indicate intensive efforts: 9,595 people received free psychological assistance, totaling nearly 35,000 hours of counseling.
Work after the front lines: digital solutions
The issue of employment remains one of the most complex in the context of monitoring. Since the Ministry of Veterans Affairs does not have access to all government registries, comprehensive statistics on the employment of veterans who have left service are currently unavailable.
The primary tool for job searching today is the “Veteran’s Career” digital platform . This is an interactive service where employers can search for qualified personnel among former military personnel, and veterans can select job openings based on their combat and civilian experience.
“Veteran Career” functions as an interactive tool for interaction between employers and war veterans, ensuring the matching of job openings with veterans’ professional skills, experience, and career expectations, while also facilitating their effective reintegration into civilian life, according to the Ministry of Veterans Affairs.
Combatant Status: Who Makes the Decision?
The Ministry also outlined the process for obtaining combatant status. Currently, this falls under the jurisdiction of departmental commissions within law enforcement agencies (the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Security Service of Ukraine, etc.).
The Ministry of Veterans Affairs is involved only in disputed cases: the Ministry has an Interdepartmental Commission that reviews complex issues and applications from volunteers who participated in activities to defend Ukraine.
