Kyiv has launched Ukraine's first municipal specialized driving school, designed for veterans with disabilities, in particular those with musculoskeletal impairments resulting from limb amputations. This was announced on August 25, 2026, by the city's mayor Vitali Klitschko in his Telegram channel, where he emphasized that the city continues to expand the system of support for Ukraine's defenders. According to him, the driving school has already passed the required inspection of the classroom and is ready to accept its first students.
Specially Equipped Vehicles and Adaptive Controls
For practical lessons in category "B," veterans have been provided with specially equipped vehicles, which were donated by the Zhurinsky Family Charitable Foundation at Klitschko's request. The Ministry of Internal Affairs service center, in turn, provided assistance in supporting and implementing the project. Training involves two main scenarios: a person can learn to drive a car from scratch and obtain a driver's license, or, if they already had driving experience before being wounded, undergo retraining and master driving with adaptive equipment — in particular, with hand controls. In the photo published in the mayor's channel, a veteran with two leg prostheses is seen learning to get into a car, clearly demonstrating the school's target audience.
The "Peer to Peer" Principle and Transport Logistics
Training is conducted by certified instructors, including veterans themselves who have undergone the necessary preparation, passed the exams, and obtained the right to teach others. The key principle of the school's work is formulated as "peer to peer": an instructor who has gone through a similar experience is better able to understand the student's needs and limitations. For those who have difficulty getting to the training location on their own, a transport service called "Kyiv Military Hub" is provided, which removes the accessibility barrier for people with limited mobility.
A Comprehensive Route for Automotive Mobility
Klitschko emphasized that driving school training should not be an isolated service. The city is forming what is called a comprehensive route of veteran automotive mobility: after completing their studies, Kyiv is ready to partially compensate for the purchase of a car, partially compensate for its modification to meet the individual needs of a specific person, and also assist with requalification and employment. According to the mayor, in 2026 Kyiv has already compensated veterans who received disabilities as a result of combat actions for the purchase of 34 cars worth more than 20 million hryvnia. The first intake at the driving school has already been formed — 17 veterans have expressed a desire to undergo training.
Expansion Prospects
Vitali Klitschko announced that in the future the courses of the specialized driving school will be opened to all people with disabilities who need such training, not only to veterans. Thus, the pilot project launched in the capital is designed as a model that can be scaled to a wider audience. Experts note that the emergence of a municipal-format driving school reduces the financial burden on the veterans themselves and creates a sustainable mechanism for integrating people with disabilities into the everyday urban environment through independent mobility.
