“The League of the Strong,” in collaboration with the State Employment Service, has released a 3-minute motivational video about employment opportunities for veterans with disabilities.
The video is based on real stories of people who have taken advantage of government programs: they received free training and retraining, received compensation for setting up a workspace, or received support to start their own business.
Start this life over
The stories of Vitalii Prymenko, Ruslan Marushchak, and Olena Yagupova are examples of how it is possible to recover after the war and find new meaning in one’s profession.
Vitalii Prymenko has been serving in the military since 2014. In 2025, he was discharged due to health reasons. Returning to civilian life proved to be difficult: because of his physical limitations, he could no longer work in his pre-war profession. He had to find a new path. Vitalii turned to the employment center, completed training, and became a psychologist at the Kyiv City Center for Comprehensive Support of Combatants, “Kyiv Military Hub.” Now he helps his comrades adapt to civilian life — and considers this his new mission.
Before the war, Ruslan Marushchak was a civil engineer and ran his own business. He returned from the front with both legs amputated. Despite this, Ruslan did not give up on an active life. With the support of the State Employment Service, he completed a professional development course for aspiring entrepreneurs, registered as a sole proprietor, and, together with a friend, launched a business in the field of freight transportation and seasonal trade.
Government compensation for workplace accommodations helped him get back to work — today, Ruslan is in charge of accounting and business management. At the same time, he is achieving success in sports: after returning from the front lines, he won three gold medals at the international veterans’ competition “Strong Spirit’s Games” in Madrid and became the Ukrainian champion in adaptive boxing.
Olena Yagupova’s town fell under occupation in the early days of the full-scale war. She herself was taken captive, subjected to violence, and forced to perform hard labor. After her release, Olena was left with poor health and an uncertain future. During the most difficult period, the State Employment Service helped her: she received a second higher education degree free of charge and became a certified psychologist. In addition, she received compensation to set up her workplace. Today, Olena works with veterans and helps others navigate the journey from trauma to recovery.
These stories prove that even after suffering the most devastating losses, it is possible to find a new career, start your own business, and make a meaningful contribution to society.
Employers who create opportunities
Yaroslav Andriuk, co-owner of the “NESEMOS VETERAN AUTO HUB” auto service, initially launched a charitable initiative with his partners—the team purchased vehicles for the front lines. Over time, it became clear that military vehicles required systematic repairs, and the initiative evolved into a full-fledged auto service center that maintains vehicles for the military free of charge, relying on donations.
This new line of work emerged after a veteran with an amputation contacted the service to request that his car be converted to manual controls. This initial experience demonstrated just how important such a service is for military personnel who have lost limbs.
The new department is headed by Ruslan Zadorozhny, a former soldier who lost an arm in the war. He joined the service as a receptionist and later became the department head. His personal experience helps him better understand customers’ needs and find practical solutions for every situation.
Thanks to government compensation for workplace accommodations, the company provided Ruslan with the necessary equipment — a laptop and a printer. Today, this initiative helps veterans with disabilities maintain their mobility and independence.
The video aims to show that employing people with disabilities is not an exception, but a real possibility—provided there is support, openness on the part of employers, and effective government programs.
The video is now available for viewing on the project organizers’ official pages:
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