Arseniy Yatsenyuk: Government to set up State Service of Ukraine on the Affairs of ATO Participants and Veterans

The Government of Ukraine sets up the State Service of Ukraine on ATO Veterans and Participants. The Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk stated on Monday, August 11, following a visit of the Main military medical clinical centre in Kyiv, in which ATO participants undergo treatment.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk stressed that by now about 50 thousand soldiers and officers appear participants in the antiterrorist operation: "Thousands are wounded. Many families were left without a breadwinner".

According to him, the service should ensure, in particular social protection of ATO veterans and participants, including their registration, employment, medical and psychological rehabilitation, as well as the providing housing for those families that were left without a breadwinner.

The head of Government noted that he had met with the parliamentary factions on the issue of creation of this State Service. According to him, the idea of the Government was to set up a separate Ministry for ATO Veteran Affairs, however it did not gain support of MPs of Ukraine: "We decided – let’s set up a service then.

The PM made a proposal to a post of the head of this state service and noted that the Government has several candidates to propose: "We wish the chief of this service was a direct participant in the anti-terrorist operation, who was engaged in warfare there, has relevant experience, established reputation and high credibility".

In addition, the Government has decided to allocate funds for prosthetic care for those soldiers who were seriously wounded in the anti-terrorist operation.

 Arseniy Yatsenyuk appealed with a request to private clinics to help in the rehabilitation of ATO participants: "A lion's share of funds for treatment abroad is transferred by volunteers. Therefore, certain funding will be given by the government, certain funding is made by people, and I hope that private clinics will also help the families and these guys".

The Head of Government also reminded that two months before the Cabinet of Ministers took a decision to provide housing for the families of those soldiers who died in the course of antiterrorist operations if such families lack proper housing conditions: "In general the list enumerates over 400 families by now".

As for the maintenance of ATO participants, the Head of the Government noted that there are problems with ensuring territorial defense. Arseniy Yatseniuk said that he would have a meeting on this issue with the Ministry of Defense: "We have allocated billions of funds, we were personally engaged in the matters of the National Guard, so they are equipped "one hundred percent". It is perfect that new equipment is being delivered to the Defense Ministry and directly to the regular troops. But territorial defense troops are also fighting, and therefore it is unacceptable, when military commanders ignore territorial defense units – there is no need in providing with funds, equipment".

The Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Minister for Social Policy Liudmyla Denisova visited the Main military medical clinical centre in Kiev. The PM talked to soldiers who undergo treatment in the Neurosurgical Department of the Neurosurgery and Neurology Clinic of the Centre, and also to the members of families of the ATO participants and volunteers.