Former combat physician and chairman of the Lviv Center for Services for Hydroopers, Andriy Zholob, in an interview with Radio Liberty on February 10, shared his view on how Ukraine and society should prepare for the return of veterans after the war. He stressed that no country in the world was able to prepare for this problem in full, including even countries such as the US and Israel.
According to Zholob, it is impossible to prepare for such situations. "No country could prepare for a meeting of veterans," he said, explaining that the problems that would arise after the war would be complex and multifaceted. The first challenge will be a huge number of veterans that Ukraine should integrate into society. For example, only in Lviv, after the end of the war, there will be about 50,000 veterans, and this will create significant pressure on social and psychological services, as well as on the public environment as a whole. Andriy Zholob explained that veterans may face a lot of problems, including psychological injuries, aggression, domestic violence and even suicide attempts. In his opinion, the worst thing that can happen to a veteran after the war is when he closes in himself, begins to relieve his pain because of alcohol, aggression or begging. "An incredible number of problematic cases will be inevitable," the chute said. He stressed that it should not be expected that veterans will find their place in society immediately after returning from the war, and that, as in advertising, everyone will celebrate the return, danced together.
The gutter gave some tips for conscious citizens how to help veterans properly. He urged not to cross through a person who needs help, and always ask if something can be helped, even if it is not a military or veteran. He also drew attention to the importance of a tactile approach: if a veteran on a wheelchair tries to climb a mountain, it is better to ask whether he needs help, instead of helping to help, which can cause unnecessary discomfort without warning. If the veteran answers aggressively, the chute advised not to succumb to provocations and not react with the same, but to keep calm. This approach will help to avoid escalation of conflicts.
After the end of the war, Ukraine should prepare for new challenges related to rehabilitation and integration of veterans. This issue requires not only proper support at the state level, but also social responsibility on the part of citizens. As Andrei Zholob emphasized, it is important that society supports veterans, but at the same time understood the complexity of the situation and the ability to work with people who experienced war injuries.
