The Ukrainian Veterans Fund of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine presented the results of the study "Portrait of a Veteran 2025," which was conducted jointly with the Sociological Group "Rating" in September–December 2025. Analysts note a consistently high level of trust and respect for the military and veterans, and among the key challenges that defenders may face when returning to civilian life, they cite psycho-emotional instability, the risk of addiction, and a lack of understanding from society.
Representatives of government and non-governmental organizations, businesses, international partners, veterans, and military personnel participated in the event, which took place on December 23 in Kyiv. During the event, they discussed the needs of the veteran community, employment, the role of the state and business in creating sustainable solutions to support veterans, and summarized the work of the Ukrainian Veterans Fund in 2025.
"Trust in the military and veterans is high. The state's task is to fill this trust with concrete content: accessible services, post-service support, and clear opportunities for civilian life. In particular, through the veteran infrastructure and the Ukrainian Veteran Fund of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, we are implementing this policy — supporting veteran businesses and community initiatives, as well as conducting systematic research. In the future, we will intensify this work by expanding support tools and relying on data and the real needs of veterans," said Natalia Kalmykova, Minister for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine.
According to Karina Doroshenko, executive director of the Ukrainian Veterans Fund, the sociological studies organized and conducted by the fund serve as a kind of roadmap for the institution's work. They clearly show where the veteran community needs more attention today, which programs are working, and where new approaches and solutions need to be sought.
“Our work is based on research. In particular, in 2025, as part of the Varto program, the Ukrainian Veterans Fund supported 336 projects, including 16 projects from non-governmental organizations and 320 business projects from veterans and their families, for more than UAH 490 million, compensated more than 500 applications under the one-time financial assistance program, and provided nearly 27,000 consultations through the crisis and legal support hotline. It is important for us that every figure in our report corresponds to the real needs of veterans," emphasized the head of the fund.
Trust in the military and veterans remains high
According to the results of the "Portrait of a Veteran 2025"* study, 96% of Ukrainians trust the military currently fighting, 92% trust veterans of the current war, and 87% trust veterans of the ATO. Seventy-seven percent of the population believe that society respects veterans, and the level of respect for female veterans is even higher — 81%.
At the same time, veterans themselves assess the situation more cautiously: 60% believe that society respects veterans today, while 36% hold the opposite view. Researchers note that there is a certain gap between the public image of veterans and their own feelings, but it is natural and does not create conflict.
The study also shows that the image of veterans in Ukraine is largely shaped by personal experience: 64% of Ukrainians have veterans among their family members or close friends.
When it comes to the image of veterans in the media, compared to last year, it is perceived as somewhat more realistic and positive, and the image of female veterans in the media is also perceived more positively: 72% of respondents said that the image of veterans in the Ukrainian media is predominantly positive, and 78% consider the image of female veterans in the media to be positive.
Main challenges and needs of veterans
58% of veterans believe that society is not sufficiently informed about their needs and the challenges of civilian life, while among the civilian population, 60% of respondents rated their own awareness as sufficient.
Lack of understanding by society is among the three most likely negative phenomena that can arise in the lives of veterans. Veterans rated its likelihood at 75%, after psycho-emotional instability (85%) and alcohol or drug addiction (79%).
The most sought-after types of support for veterans in 2025 remain:
financial support — 50%;
medical assistance — 43%.
More than a quarter of respondents also noted the need for psychological support (28%) and housing (26%).
Overall, the study showed that Ukrainian society is gradually learning to see veterans not only as heroes, but also as people who are returning to civilian life with their own challenges and problems. The fears and exaggerated expectations that were characteristic of the early years of the war are diminishing, and society is demonstrating a more balanced and realistic attitude toward the problems of veterans.
*For reference. The study "Portrait of a Veteran 2025" consists of two parts: the main part is a survey of veterans conducted by the sociological group "Rating" at the initiative of the Ukrainian Veterans Fund Miniveterans. The survey involved 240 respondents and was conducted using a formalized face-to-face interview method between December 3 and 15, 2025. The second part is the sixth wave of research, which has been conducted annually since 2022. The sample consisted of 1,000 respondents, representative in terms of age, gender, and geography. The survey was conducted by telephone interviews between September 10 and 20, 2025.
The study "Portrait of a Veteran 2025" and the Ukrainian Veterans Fund Report for 2025 are available on the Ukrainian Veterans Fund website.