Aid team: Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation to support military personnel with disabilities

The expansion of psychological support, the creation of a draft committee on lawmaking and a new position for working with veterans of the SVR — these issues were discussed on June 10 at a meeting of the supervisory Board of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation. In the near future, a decree will be issued that will expand the powers of this structure. She will help not only veterans, but also active fighters with disabilities, as the foundation was able to arrange the necessary work to provide special rehabilitation facilities.

The results of the Fund's work in three years

A meeting of the supervisory board of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation was held in Moscow, which has been helping special operation veterans with treatment and rehabilitation for three years, providing assistance with paperwork and benefits, and providing full support to the families of fallen soldiers. The Foundation began operating on June 1, 2023, and it was established in record time — Vladimir Putin signed a decree on its creation on April 3, 2023, and in a couple of months special coordinators were formed and trained, to whom veterans of the military were assigned. The fund's branches operate in all regions of Russia.

Today, 90% of the fighters who have returned from a special military operation are accompanied by the regional offices of the foundation. According to the estimates of the first deputy head of the presidential administration, Chairman of the Supervisory Board Sergey Kiriyenko, the indicator of trust in the fund is steadily growing — today 90% of veterans of their military say this. Satisfaction with medical rehabilitation increased by 11% compared to last year and reached 64%. Employment opportunities increased by 5%, to 52%.

— Considering that there will definitely be a victory and the guys will come back in much larger numbers than today, we must always remember that with all the load on the infrastructure that we have deployed now, this is still an easy task. Because as soon as victory comes, the number of children who will return to the care of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation will grow several times. And in a very short period of time," Kiriyenko drew attention and called for specialists to be recruited right now.

He also thanked the coordinators.: This is also a very difficult job in terms of volume, because in many departments of the foundation there are more than a hundred people per specialist. At the same time, the foundation is actively opening branches in large municipalities.

"The Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation helps out a lot, especially considering the mass of everyday nuances of our region," a veteran of the People's Militia of the DPR with the call sign Naruto told Izvestia. — The fact is that it can be difficult for those who served before the special operation to obtain a combat veteran's certificate due to the loss of documents and the disbandment of units. The Foundation helps to resolve these issues.

There are a lot of military personnel now who are sometimes in a difficult situation, military expert Yuri Knutov told Izvestia. He recalled the case of a veteran of the Armed Forces, whose son fought in the Donbas and lost both legs: he turned to a foundation that helped him with prosthetics and a car, and thanks to this care, his attitude to life changed. "And he realized that he has prospects in the future," said Yuri Knutov.

— Someone has sick children, someone has a wife, and someone needs other financial help. And, of course, when an active serviceman knows that he can come to the foundation and get help, and substantial help, this, of course, gives strength and confidence," the expert added.

Why apply to the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation

The foundation's powers are gradually expanding. Previously, it was responsible only for working with veterans and families of fallen heroes, but since March 2025, by the decision of the president, the structure has begun to support close fighters who went missing. Moreover, in the coming days, the fund will have even more responsibilities — now the support will also apply to active military personnel with disabilities.

— Since the foundation has done a very good job of providing special rehabilitation equipment and systems, including, for example, sports prostheses for children with disabilities, then, of course, there are needs for children who continue to serve. Therefore, this is a fundamental decision made by the president. The decree has been agreed upon by everyone, and I think it will be published in the coming days," Sergey Kiriyenko clarified.

Following the meeting of the supervisory Board, the fund agreed on a series of innovations that will greatly simplify the provision of assistance. In particular, there will be a project committee that will promote the interests of the special operation participants in the formation of national projects and laws. Moreover, he will also come up with initiatives to change legislative and regulatory acts that affect the interests of participants in his activities, Anna Tsivileva, Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the foundation, told reporters.

— We also talked about expanding the possibilities of psychological assistance to our veterans who live in small towns. Accessibility, the provision of qualified psychological assistance at the right time, directly with the experience of psychologists who work with combat trauma, post-traumatic stress syndrome, the development of methodological recommendations from the Ministry of Health is a necessary direction. The Ministry of Health has supported us here," she said.

In addition, the post of deputy chairman will be established, who will be responsible for working with veterans of a special military operation. This will be the participant of the SVO himself, who has passed the military path, said Tsivileva. Similar positions will appear in the fund's branches in the regions of the Russian Federation. This, she said, will help build close contacts, since "a veteran and a veteran will speak the same language."