Lithuania’s Support for Ukraine

Lithuania has made a long-term and unwavering commitment to support Ukraine during the war. One of the key areas of assistance is the physical and psychosocial rehabilitation and reintegration of people affected by the war. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians are defending their country on the front lines, and millions have been directly or indirectly impacted by war experiences and trauma.

In 2025–2027, Lithuania and Taiwan allocated funding from the Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid Fund for the project “Strengthening the Ecosystem of Social Services for Victims of the War in Ukraine.”

Within this project, the comprehensive war-veteran rehabilitation service model developed and piloted in Zaporizhzhia by the Ukrainian non-governmental organisation Laboratory for Military and Political Reconstructions (LAB) will be further strengthened, and the experience will be transferred to other cities in Ukraine.

the pilot model developed and tested

The comprehensive rehabilitation model for war veterans, CHECKPOINT, was developed and implemented in Zaporizhzhia in 2024–2025 to support soldiers and their families in socialising and reintegrating into society. The project established a collaborative system of institutions, qualified personnel, and resources, as well as a centre providing social services, including psychological, legal,  employment-related consultations, and physical rehabilitation. The model has been applied not only to war veterans but also to their family members.

In 2025–2026, the pilot model that has been tested will continue to be implemented in practice, and the experience will be transferred to other cities in Ukraine.

OBJECTIVE – TO CREATE A WAR VETERANS’ INTEGRATION ECOSYSTEM

During the project, war veterans and their families will receive social rehabilitation services at the centre operating in Zaporizhzhia. The project partner LAB will also share good practices with communities in other regions of Ukraine.

Drawing on its experience in strengthening the capacities of civil society organisations, the Open Lithuania Foundation will work with 15 Ukrainian organisations active in the field of social rehabilitation.

The comprehensive rehabilitation service model for war veterans includes not only medical but also psychological and legal support, as well as employment-related consultations, while providing a safe space and community for veterans and their family members. A multidisciplinary team works with individuals and families who have experienced severe war-related trauma—both physical and psychological—aiming to ensure a smoother return to society and civilian life.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Services provided to war veterans and their families

  1. Psychological services

  2. Legal consultations

  3. Professional and social reintegration counselling

  4. Physical rehabilitation

  5. Socialisation and educational activities for children and teenagers

  6. Creation and dissemination of content relevant to the target group via the Maydanchik YouTube TV channel

  7. Media school for children and teenagers

Activities aimed at building a war veterans’ integration ecosystem

  1. Adapting project methodologies designed for working with veterans and their family members for broader groups of war-affected people, including internally displaced persons, military personnel and their families, and families of fallen soldiers

  2. Comprehensive Train the Trainer (ToT) programme for LAB staff

  3. LAB trainings for communities in other regions of the country that seek to establish rehabilitation centres in their own cities

  4. Open Lithuania Foundation (OLF) trainings for 15 organisations already working actively in the field of social rehabilitation

TARGET GROUPS

During this project, direct benefits through service provision will be created for the following groups:

  • War veterans and their family members

  • Military personnel and their family members

  • Families of fallen soldiers

  • Internally displaced persons

To disseminate good practices in war-veteran integration across Ukraine, the project will also engage with the following target groups:

  • Ukrainian NGOs providing social rehabilitation services to veterans and war-affected populations

  • Representatives of government institutions

  • Local communities and their members

  • Donors and funding partnerS

  

PROJECT RESULTS

  • Greater social stability and cohesion, with a positive impact on addressing social issues related to the consequences of war.

  • A better-informed, more engaged, and more resilient society, capable of countering disinformation, defending democratic values, and contributing to a stable and secure future.

  • NGOs providing social services to war-affected populations become better prepared to serve as social partners to the government and external donors, and to deliver high-quality services.

PROJECT FUNDED

The project is funded by the Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid Fund.

Project implemented by

The project in Ukraine is implemented by the Zaporizhzhia Laboratory for Military and Political Reconstructions.

Project partner in Lithuania – Open Lithuania Foundation.

The contracting authority of the project is the Central Project Management Agency.

Photos from the project team’s visit to Ukraine