Order of the Minister of Defence: Released service members will receive expanded rights and social protection
Service members who were held in captivity will receive expanded rights and social protection. The corresponding order has already been signed, announced Minister of Defence of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal during a meeting with service members recently released from captivity.
According to Denys Shmyhal, until now, injuries or illnesses sustained in captivity were not recognized as being related to the defence of the Homeland. As a result, defenders were deprived of the opportunity to obtain Combatant Status or the status of a person with a disability due to war.
From now on, injuries, wounds, concussions, and illnesses sustained in captivity will be treated as combat-related.
“This decision guarantees service members:
- proper social protection;
- the right to all applicable benefits and compensations;
- free medical treatment and rehabilitation.
The state will protect each of our service members not only on the battlefield but also after they return home,” stated the Minister of Defence of Ukraine.
As part of his working trip, the Minister of Defence visited service members undergoing treatment at the Mariupol Military Hospital in Kirovohrad Oblast. Together with Deputy Head of the Office of the President Iryna Vereshchuk, Head of the Regional Military Administration Andrii Raikovych, and Members of Parliament, Denys Shmyhal spoke with the service members and medical staff.
“All the doctors are from Mariupol. I thanked them for their courage and professionalism, and presented honorary awards,” noted the Minister of Defence.
He inspected the treatment conditions for service members and heard a report from the Commander of the Medical Forces, Major General Anatolii Kazmirchuk.
“It is important that our defenders receive the best care and support worthy of their heroism. The state will continue doing everything possible to ensure this,” emphasized the Minister of Defence.
In addition, in Vinnytsia Oblast, Denys Shmyhal reviewed the work of medical facilities where wounded and released service members are undergoing rehabilitation.
In particular, he inspected the facilities of one of the medical centers and the conditions created for the defenders. Since 2022, the institution has been systematically improving its material and technical base and renovating premises in line with inclusivity and barrier-free accessibility requirements.
“We will continue doing everything possible to ensure that service members who have sacrificed their health defending the state receive all necessary services and treatment in the most comfortable conditions possible and without unnecessary bureaucracy,” concluded Denys Shmyhal.
