Ukraine is set to begin developing an interdepartmental initiative aimed at integrating veterans into civilian life through the labor market. The Ministry of Energy, together with the Ministry of Veterans, Family and Youth Affairs, is working on several pilot projects, the key focus of which will be supporting veterans in finding employment. This was announced by the First Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Energy, who emphasized that these are pilot formats to be tested before any possible scaling up.
A Joint Project of Two Ministries
According to the minister, both departments are exploring the possibility of launching several pilot projects designed to help veterans after their return to civilian life. The central element of the program is proposed to be employment: veterans are planned to be offered several specific career paths in the energy sector. As noted, this approach should provide people not with one-off assistance, but with a sustainable professional path in a strategically important sector of the economy.
Employment Directions
The first and most prominent direction is direct positions within the Ministry of Energy itself. The department is ready to offer roles in which veterans can realize their professional potential. The second direction is the structures subordinate to the ministry, in particular the engineering and technical units responsible for protecting energy infrastructure. The third direction is work in state and private energy companies, which expands the geographic reach and range of possible vacancies beyond the ministry itself.
The Naftogaz Example
As living proof that the energy sector is already one of the largest employers of veterans, the minister cited the example of the Naftogaz Group. According to him, the company currently employs more than three thousand veterans. This figure, as intended by the initiative's authors, is meant to serve as a benchmark for expanding similar practices in other structures of the sector within the new pilot projects.
Tariffs: What Will Remain Unchanged
Against the backdrop of the discussion of new projects, the minister also commented on the issue of utility tariffs. Electricity tariffs for household consumers, he said, will remain unchanged, as the price is fixed. He separately clarified that water prices are set by local authorities, are market-based, and include all market components of the cost of water supply and wastewater services.
Contradictory Data
In the public sphere, there are conflicting versions regarding tariffs. On the one hand, last month the Ministry of Energy refuted widespread information about an alleged tariff increase for gas and electricity from 2027 fixed in a memorandum with the IMF. On the other hand, current statements emphasize that the price of electricity for the population is fixed and will not change, while water remains subject to market pricing. Thus, a gap persists between the forecasts of future increases circulating in society and the department's official explanations, which the ministry consistently refutes, citing the fixed price of electricity and the market nature of water tariffs.
The outcome of the planned joint work of the Energy Ministry and the Veterans Affairs Ministry should be an expansion of employment opportunities for veterans both in the state sector and in the energy sector as a whole. The pilot nature of the projects means that their final parameters and the volume of vacancies will be refined as development progresses.
