Reintegrating veterans through collaborative Research and Action

After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Corioli Institute forged partnerships with local organizations dedicated to supporting the reintegration of Ukrainian soldiers returning from the frontlines. Collaborators include the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, the Ukrainian Women Veteran Movement, Pislya Sluzhby, IREX, and others.

In summer 2023, Corioli researchers conducted fieldwork across Ukraine, interviewing veterans, servicemembers, policymakers, and civil society leaders. These insights informed the first annual Out of War Conference, held in October 2023 at the London School of Economics, which brought together veterans, policymakers, and practitioners from 19 countries to co-develop strategies for reintegration.

Building on this foundation, in 2024 the Corioli Institute deepened its partnership with the Folke Bernadotte Academy through a five-year framework agreement with the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments. As part of Ukraine’s EU accession-related security sector assessment, Corioli developed a dedicated Annex on veteran reintegration, identifying reform priorities and strategies to build a cohesive, veteran-centered reintegration system.

In November 2024, we published our flagship report, Between Frontline and Homefront: A Roadmap of Reintegration, Resilience, and Participation, one of the most comprehensive analyses of veteran reintegration in Ukraine to date. Based on 40+ interviews, field research, and the Out of War conference, the report captures the realities of transition from military to civilian life and provides clear policy recommendations now shaping conversations in Kyiv, Brussels, and beyond.

In June 2025, we co-hosted veteran-led reintegration workshops at American University Kyiv, where veterans defined what progress means in their own terms and co-created solutions with representatives from government, civil society, the private sector, and international organizations. These dialogues produced practical, measurable strategies to reduce stigma, expand services, and create sustainable vocational, psychological, and family support pathways.

Alongside this work, the Corioli Institute and FBA launched a thematic policy brief series focused on political participation, economic opportunities, gender-responsive approaches, and community-based reintegration, which are designed to make veterans’ perspectives accessible to policymakers and practitioners.

Through research, policy advising, and action initiatives, the Corioli Institute continues to ensure that veterans’ voices are at the center of shaping Ukraine’s reintegration systems, laying the groundwork for long-term resilience, social cohesion, and recovery.