The Ukrainian Veterans Foundation has launched an information campaign “I am a veteran”. In all regions of Ukraine, you can see billboards and streetlights with photos of young men and women who have been defending the country since 2014, and now have returned to war.
“We stop the romanticisation of war and want to forever bury the Soviet vision of the image of a veteran. This social action should change society’s perception that veterans are old men wearing medals. And if you did not die for Ukraine, then you are not a hero. For Ukraine, every life of our defenders is valuable. Therefore, in the information campaign, we showed young men and women who are fighting for the freedom of Ukraine,” says the head of the Foundation, Nataliya Kalmykova.
Young defenders took part in the filming for the information campaign, which broke the society’s perception of the image of a veteran as an elderly person. At the age of 25 in Ukraine, a person may well have combat experience behind his shoulders.
“On board you can see people who have already gone through the hell of war once, and now they have returned there again. That’s why we reinforce the photos with the slogan “Yes, I am a veteran and I continue to defend,” says Nataliya Kalmykova.
Images on social networks were added to the information campaign with outdoor advertising.
Previously, the Ukrainian Veterans’ Foundation launched a flash mob #позывнийУкраїна (call sign Ukraine), within the framework of which it collected stories of civilians who left everyday life and became military. These media activities are necessary to form a new image of a veteran in society.
“Half a million people have already been mobilised, and we can mobilise as many more if necessary,” said the commander of the “South” operational command, Major General Andriy Kovalchuk. But this figure does not take into account the involved defenders from the National Guard, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, the State Border Service, the State Special Transit Service, the Military Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Federal Security Service, the State Security Police Department, the State Special Service, the State Emergency Service, the State Criminal Enforcement Service, Volunteer and other military formations , which became part of the Armed Forces/Ministry of Internal Affairs/National Guard.
According to the Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Hanna Malyar, more than 50,000 women are currently serving in the Armed Forces, including 5,000 on the front lines.
The Minister of Veteran Affairs of Ukraine, Yuliya Laputina, emphasises that by February 24, 500,000 combatants were registered. Currently, more than 770,000 people with the status of a participant in hostilities are recorded in the register of the Ministry of Social Policy. After the Russian-Ukrainian war, even more young men and women who protect Ukraine with their lives will acquire the status of war veterans. The estimated number of future veterans is up to 5 million.
