Draft bill #13063 of March 5, 2025 

Sponsor: the Cabinet of Ministers 

Status: sent for review to the Committee on Legal Policy 

Who is affected: veterans and foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine 

Summary: 

  • service members who have suffered due to the war with Russia and are receiving treatment abroad will not pay consular fees for: 
    • certification of a translator’s signature 
    • verification of the translation correctness of documents into Ukrainian. 

What is right: the document processing for service members receiving treatment abroad due to the war will be simplified and sped up. The abolition of the consular fee will reduce the financial burden on the wounded and their families, as well as facilitate the timely receipt of necessary medical assistance. 

What is wrong: the abolition of the consular fee is just one step, but it does not provide comprehensive support for veterans and their families. It is not enough to simplify the processing of documents, as affected service members and their families face many other challenges. Treatment abroad is expensive, and even with government programs in place, many costs fall on families. Long-term recovery programs, including physical and psychological rehabilitation and employment, are necessary after treatment. Families of wounded soldiers often remain without stable income and require financial, psychological, and legal assistance. 

Alternative solution: a comprehensive state policy is needed for full support of veterans: increased funding for treatment, simplified logistics, rehabilitation programs, legal protection, and social integration. 

How to help the legislator: proposals concerning the draft bill can be sent to the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada on Legal Policy. 

Additional information: 

  • article by Yuliia Pietsko: No place for veterans? How the state policy on veterans in Ukraine should look like 
  • column by Oksana Zabolotna: Don’t turn veterans into the destitute 
  • Points Considered podcast: (Un)protected defenders: how does the state care for the military, and what is wrong with the Ministry of Veterans Affairs?