Ukrainian Armed Forces to create pastoral care services for soldiers and their families – General Staff

Every brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will start offering pastoral care services designed to help the families of soldiers who have been killed, gone missing, or taken prisoner.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, citing Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Details: The purpose and structure of the pastoral care services was set out in the Plan for the Implementation of Social Support for Military Personnel and Their Families within the Civil-Military Cooperation System of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Suspilne, Ukraine's public broadcaster, reported that the Ukrainian army will make pastoral care services available from 1 October 2024. The following services will be available:

• Soldiers’ families will be able to access information about their loved ones;
• Injured soldiers will be assisted in navigating the healthcare system;
• Families of soldiers who have been killed, gone missing, or taken prisoner will be offered information and support.

"These units will be created as part of existing Civil-Military Cooperation units within the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which have their own command structure within the armed forces," Oleksandr Kutov, Head of the Civil-Military Cooperation at the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Soldiers who have returned from Russian captivity, sustained injuries or cannot take part in combat due to other health issues will be employed in the new pastoral care centres. The centres will also employ medical, financial, occupational, and psychology professionals, as well as experts in public relations.

"The work of pastoral care services is important not just for the injured soldiers and soldiers’ families, but for each brigade as a whole. Because our soldiers have to know that neither they nor their families will be left to their own devices, which improves the brigades’ morale," said Olena Tolkachova, a spokeswoman for the 3rd Assault Brigade.

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