Ukraine Veterans Rehabilitation Program Launches in Poland

A pilot rehabilitation and support program for Ukrainian military personnel has been launched in the Polish town of Górowo Iławeckie.

As part of the project, small groups of veterans will travel to the town for several weeks.

In addition to rehabilitation, they will live in the local community and have the opportunity to interact with its residents.

The launch of this program was reported by Polska Rada Biznesu.

The initiative proposed by Polish sociologist and president of the Stocznia Foundation Kuba (Jakub) Wygnański and the Union of Ukrainians in Poland.

The first stage of the project is designed for 30 veterans, who will be divided into three groups of 10. Each group will stay in Poland for about three weeks. A local hospital and a health resort complex will be used to support the servicemen’s recovery.

At the same time, the organizers emphasize that the program will not be limited to medical rehabilitation alone.

“Veterans should be surrounded by the care of this community — not only in terms of medical assistance, but in all other aspects of life,” Wygnański said in an interview with the Sestry portal.

The town was chosen for the pilot project because of its special ties to Ukraine. Górowo Iławeckie is home to a sizeable Ukrainian community, made up largely of descendants of Ukrainians who were forcibly resettled from western regions of Ukraine during Operation Vistula.

The organizers believe that such a community can play an important role in veterans’ recovery. This is not only about medical assistance, but also about ordinary human interaction, support, and involving Ukrainian military personnel in the life of the town.

The pilot stage will be largely funded by the Polska Rada Biznesu foundation. The money is being raised through individual contributions from its members.

According to the foundation’s head, Małgorzata Durska, nearly 500,000 zlotys was raised in just one weekend. The funds raised should be enough to cover the program’s key needs, including transportation, accommodation, food, and rehabilitation.

Polska Rada Biznesu also emphasized the symbolic significance of the project. The organizers want to demonstrate that Poland continues to support Ukraine and its military personnel.

The program’s initiators expect that after the war ends, the need for similar projects will only grow, as a large number of Ukrainian veterans will require long-term physical, psychological, and social support.

According to the organizers, there is currently no comprehensive program in Poland that fully addresses these needs. Therefore, the pilot project in Górowo Iławeckie is being considered as a potential model for developing similar programs in other regions of Poland.

Poland continues to support the Ukrainian Defense Forces and is currently preparing its 50th military aid package.

EMPR