In a situation where thousands of Ukrainian defenders are returning from the front with physical limitations, the question of their professional reintegration has become not just a humanitarian challenge, but a test for the entire employment system. The industrial company Interpipe, part of Viktor Pinchuk's business empire, has built a multi-level support program for veterans that goes beyond standard corporate social initiatives. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a UNIAN article titled "Indomitable Business. Indomitable People. An Indomitable Country."
The story of Yaroslav Burulin: from a sapper's mine to a management post
The central story of the report was the story of Yaroslav Burulin — a defender of Ukraine who, before the full-scale invasion, worked as a fitter at Interpipe's pipe production facility in Nikopol. The war radically changed his professional path: the fitter became a sapper and successfully carried out tasks in this field. However, during one of his combat missions, he stepped on a mine and lost his leg. After completing his treatment, returning to his previous position as a fitter proved impossible — the prosthetic leg prevented him from performing work on the production line. Nevertheless, Yaroslav did not end up without work in the city he had defended: the company offered him a new role.
Reintegration policy: not just "putting someone back in place," but finding a new one
"The company has a veteran reintegration policy, one of the main components of which is their return to the workplace. If a person cannot return to their pre-war job, then another position is selected for them, based on the person's experience and career plans," said Lyudmyla Novak, Interpipe's Director of Communications and curator of the veteran program. For Yaroslav, the solution was the position of foreman — a line manager in the company's machine-building complex in Nikopol. He completed an internship and, according to the publication, has successfully managed a section for over a year. As emphasized in the article, such a story is not an isolated case.
The scale of the program: more than 200 veterans on staff
As of the time of publication, more than 200 veterans work at Interpipe. This indicates that reintegration here is not a one-off event, but a systematic process covering a significant part of the workforce. The program includes not only job placement, but also adaptation measures, internships, and career counseling, which allows veterans not just to "settle in" at the production site, but to build a further professional trajectory.
Support center in Dnipro and recognition in the HR community
In addition to production integration, Interpipe is developing a support infrastructure: a specialized Veteran Support Center has been opened at the base of the corporate polyclinic in Dnipro, where combat participants can receive medical and psychological assistance. Additional confirmation of the effectiveness of the approach was recognition in the professional community: Interpipe's patronage service became the winner of the HR Brand of Ukraine award in the "Jury's Choice" category in the field of support for military personnel and veterans. Thus, the company combines practical work on the ground with the institutional development of support tools.
Context: Nikopol and industry under the pressure of war
The choice of Nikopol as the location for the story is not accidental: the city in the Dnipropetrovsk region was in a zone of active combat throughout the period of the full-scale war, and the local industry, including Interpipe's pipe production, operated under increased load and personnel losses. Retaining and returning qualified specialists, including veterans with disabilities, under such conditions becomes a factor of not only social responsibility, but also the production sustainability of the enterprise.
