What Support Can Veterans and Their Families Receive from East SOS: Stories of Ongoing Support

Arranging benefit payments, finding rehabilitation programs, social transportation, supporting families of missing service members, arranging children’s rehabilitation and access to state guarantees – these are just some of the issues veterans and their families turn to the East SOS specialists for.

From January to June 2026, our team provided 724 legal consultations and 260 social support consultations. We are currently supporting 31 people.

Below, we share the stories of people we have been able to help.

If you are a veteran or a family member of a service member and need support, please contact the East SOS team. 

Contact details for appointments are provided at the end of the article.

• Supporting a veteran in undergoing medical examinations and subsequent rehabilitation

Protection Officer at East SOS, Nataliia Tolbatova (Dnipro)

Viktor is a war veteran with a Group I disability resulting from an injury sustained while defending Ukraine. His wife, Nataliia, contacted East SOS for a consultation.

Following several strokes, Viktor needed rehabilitation. 

Protection Officer Nataliia helped select a rehabilitation center, accompanied Viktor during the necessary medical examinations and, together with colleagues from the evacuation team, arranged social transportation for the veteran to the facility.

After completing the rehabilitation, his wife, Nataliia, shared the first positive results: Viktor’s well-being had improved, and he had become more active and motivated to continue his recovery.

The veteran is now continuing his rehabilitation at home, while the Foundation’s specialist continues to support the family in accessing further assistance.

• Finding a rehabilitation center and helping with transportation

Protection Officer at East SOS, Nataliia Tolbatova (Dnipro)

A veteran’s mother contacted the Foundation for assistance. As a result of his participation in combat, Ruslan sustained multiple blast injuries that affected his vision, hearing and speech.

At the first stage of the support process, Protection Officer Nataliia selected a rehabilitation facility for him, established communication with its team and, together with the East SOS evacuation team, arranged social transportation for Ruslan from Dnipro to the Lisova Polyana Centre for Mental Health and Rehabilitation in Kyiv. After he completed the program, our team also helped him return home.

According to his family, the rehabilitation had a positive impact on his health and became an important stage in his recovery.

The protection officer continues to assist the veteran. Further medical examinations are planned, and their results will help determine the next steps in his rehabilitation and identify available support opportunities.

• Helping Arrange an International Holiday Program for a Veteran’s Child

Protection Officer at East SOS, Alona Katran (Mykolaiv)

A veteran’s wife, Oksana, contacted East SOS regarding a summer holiday program for her 11-year-old daughter, Polina. During the full-scale war, the girl had had very few opportunities for a proper holiday, while the family’s plans often had to change because of the security situation.

During the consultation, Case Manager Iryna told the mother about the international People of the Future project, which gives Ukrainian children an opportunity to spend time at the Anor camp. The program is implemented with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Together with the mother, the specialist checked the eligibility requirements, helped the family prepare the necessary information and complete all stages of the application process. Soon, the family received confirmation that Polina had been accepted into the program.

The next steps are preparing the documents, taking her first-ever flight and discovering a new country. The family is currently preparing Polina for the trip, and she is counting down the days until her journey abroad.

• Supporting the family of a missing service member

Case Manager at East SOS, Anna Yavtushenko (Kharkiv)

After her husband, a service member, went missing, Larysa (name changed for security reasons) was looking for answers to numerous questions related to his search and the support available to the family during this difficult period.

Case Manager Anna developed a tailored support plan and provided the necessary assistance at every stage. First, they prepared and submitted the necessary requests to the relevant authorities to initiate the official search process.

Anna then helped Larysa arrange state benefits for her daughter in connection with the disappearance of her father.

The uncertainty and prolonged wait for news about a loved one required additional support, so the case manager referred the woman to a psychologist at our psychosocial support hub “Zatyshno space”.

The Foundation’s case manager continues to support the family and helps them navigate further procedures as the situation develops.

• Protecting the rights of the mother of a fallen service member

Lawyer at East SOS, Kateryna Kodak (Kharkiv)

East SOS specialists regularly visit collective sites for internally displaced people so that residents can access social, legal and psychological support.

During one such visit, Nina, who had been evacuated from the Kupiansk area, approached the East SOS team. Two months earlier, she had lost her son, a service member who died of pneumonia while serving in the military.

During a psychological consultation, it became clear that the woman did not know that, even in such circumstances, her family was entitled to state benefits and social guarantees provided for the families of service members.

The case was taken up by Lawyer Kateryna Kodak. She helped obtain documents confirming her son’s death through the Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support and his military unit. Later, together with Nina, they submitted an application for the one-time financial assistance provided in the event of a service member’s death while serving. 

With the support of the lawyer, the woman also applied for a survivor’s pension. The pension payments have now been granted.

During the support process, another issue was identified: the family’s property had not been registered in the State Register of Property Rights to Real Estate. The lawyer helped prepare the necessary documents, obtain an extract from the register and submit an application for compensation for the destroyed housing.

Support for Nina is ongoing – the legal adviser continues to assist her in exercising her rights and communicating with government institutions.

Many requests require personal consultations and ongoing case support. East SOS specialists provide the necessary assistance until the issue is fully resolved. 

Where to seek support if you are a veteran or a family member:

Online

Free legal assistance is available by calling our hotline: 0 800 332 614 (Mon-Sat, 8:00-18:00).

We also provide consultations via messengers:
+38 (099) 710 48 72 (Viber);
 +38 (096) 108 60 48 (Telegram).

Offline

• Dnipro

To book a legal consultation: +38 063 288 67 88 (Vladyslav)

To book a psychological consultation: +38 063 150 13 91 (Nataliia) 

• Psychosocial and legal support hubs “Zatyshno space”

Vinnytsia
19 Vasylia Poryka Street (room 72) 
+38(097) 877 26 36.

Zaporizhzhia
3 Pivdennoukrainska Street (Myru Street stop)
+38(097) 021 41 53

Mykolaiv
79-A Marka Kropyvnytskoho Street
+38(097) 790 0 70.

Kharkiv
11 Hoholia Street
+38(097) 384 97 35