On 13 June, a working meeting took place in Kropyvnytskyi between experts of the Polaris Programme and the leadership of the Kirovohrad Regional Military Administration, along with specialised services working with veterans. The visit was part of Polaris’ systematic efforts to integrate the veteran perspective into the activities of municipalities.
A total of 12 representatives from the Regional Military Administration (RMA) participated in the meeting, including the leadership of the Veterans Affairs Department, relevant structural units working on veteran issues, and officials from the city of Kropyvnytskyi.
Deputy Head of the RMA Kateryna Koltunova opened the meeting by welcoming participants and emphasising the particular relevance of the topic:
“Support for veterans today holds a central place in the region’s development policies and strategies. Thanks to international cooperation, we are gaining new opportunities to strengthen the veteran support system at the local level.”
During the meeting, Natalia Sivova, Head of the Veterans Affairs Department at the RMA, presented the current status of veteran policy in the oblast, outlined key areas of activity, and shared statistical data on the number of veterans and services provided.
In turn, Polaris experts presented the Programme’s concept and cooperation opportunities in detail. Mariia Zakharchenko introduced participants to the overall Polaris approach, which is based on strengthening the system of multilevel governance and developing municipalities in line with European standards.
Denys Chechel focused on the practical aspects of the Programme’s work in integrating veterans’ needs into municipal operations. He described the activities already implemented in the first half of 2025 and outlined the next steps:
“We are actively working with communities in other regions, helping to develop new approaches to working with veterans at the local level. In Kirovohrad Oblast, we see great potential for building effective models of veteran support that will serve as practical tools for both municipal and regional leadership.”
An important topic of discussion was the upcoming regional event scheduled for early July 2025. Its goal will be to engage municipal officials from Kirovohrad Oblast in further developing the veteran service delivery system.
The Polaris Programme continues to expand its partnerships to support Ukrainian communities in building a sustainable, effective, and veteran-sensitive system of local governance.
