Funding for “Veteran Sports” Has Run Out: What Veterans Can Expect in 2027

The “Veteran Sport” program will not have a round in October: all the funding allocated for it has already been used. At the same time, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs is not abandoning the program and is working to continue it in 2027. The aim is to make assistance more targeted and monitor the use of allocated funds more closely.

These plans were discussed by Ukraine’s Minister of Veterans Affairs, Vitalii Kim, and representatives of the public association “Veterans’ Movement of Ukraine”. The meeting addressed issues facing veterans in different regions of the country and changes being prepared to the support system. Topics included:

• veteran entrepreneurship;
• housing provision;
• cars for veterans with disabilities;
• the work of support specialists;
• veteran spaces;
• rehabilitation.

Overall, the draft state budget for next year allocates UAH 3 billion more to veteran policy than this year. The additional funding is planned for rehabilitation, payments, housing, and other forms of assistance for veterans and their families.

Regarding car purchases, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs supports a legislative initiative to provide partial compensation for their cost—UAH 120,000. The measure is initially planned for veterans with a Group I disability, and later may be extended to people with a Group II disability.

Another area is family rehabilitation. The Ministry intends to move away from the traditional sanatorium-and-spa model and create a form of assistance that takes into account the needs of both veterans and their families. A pilot program is planned at two medical facilities. The draft budget for next year allocates UAH 1 billion to this area.

Vitalii Kim named a review of the work of support specialists as one of the key changes. According to him, after making their first request, veterans should not be left to navigate the government system on their own.

“A specialist should not simply receive a request, but go through the entire process with the veteran—to a concrete result. This requires common standards, clear accountability, and quality control,” said Minister of Veterans Affairs Vitalii Kim.

The Ministry of Veterans Affairs is currently preparing the regulatory framework for the new support model. Once it is ready, the approach will be discussed with the veteran community and public organizations. The Ministry is also coordinating this work with other ministries.

By the end of 2026, the Ministry also plans to present its immediate plans separately: review what has already been accomplished, explain which tasks still need to be completed before the end of the year, and outline the priorities it will take into the next year.

According to Vitalii Kim, the meeting with representatives of the veteran community was initially scheduled to last about an hour, but continued for two hours. Participants also raised difficult and uncomfortable questions.

“This dialogue is not about reporting. It is about seeing the real problems and changing the system wherever it still does not work as it should,” emphasized Minister Vitalii Kim.

We previously reported:

• Each ministry will appoint a person responsible for veterans
• “A veteran should not have to be a courier”: Vitalii Kim wants to eliminate paperwork and running between agencies
• Kim proposes establishing “veteran ombudsman” positions in every community in Mykolaiv region
• Will services for veterans in Mykolaiv improve?
• Selection of candidates for veteran support assistant positions begins in Mykolaiv region