“One window” for the defenders of the Fatherland: how the Fund for Support of Veterans of the Northern Military District will work

Personal accompaniment

Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the creation of a Fund to support combatants in Ukraine. As MK already wrote, the structure, called “Defenders of the Fatherland”, will help veterans of the NWO (including volunteers and civilians), militias who have been fighting in the Donbas since the spring of 2014, and family members of the victims. The document provides that all participants in the special operation to provide “personal support” will be put on a centralized record. Information about them will be protected by legislation on personal data and state secrets.

Vladimir Putin proposed creating a state fund to support participants in the special operation during his address to the Federal Assembly on February 21. He stated that the fund should work on the principle of “one stop”, “without treasury and bureaucracy”, and its structures should be deployed throughout the country this year. The decree, signed by the president on April 3, clarifies who exactly can apply for state assistance. These are, first of all, combat veterans who took part in the SVO or contributed to the fulfillment of the tasks of the special operation. (By “contributing” we mean civilians, such as doctors, as well as members of volunteer groups, including PMC Wagner.) The main criterion is dismissal from military service or from work in a war zone. Those who are in these territories now, the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation will not deal with. In addition, Vladimir Putin responded to the requests of residents of the regions that joined the Russian Federation by including militiamen who had been fighting in the Donbas since May 2014 among the recipients of assistance. (Especially since most of them continue to fight on the fronts of the NWO.)

Support will also be provided to family members of those who died in the course of hostilities or after being discharged from service, if the death occurred due to an injury or illness associated with the performance of the tasks of the NWO. According to the decree, spouses and minor children of the deceased are considered family members under any circumstances. Children over the age of 18 must be disabled or students (before the age of 23) to be eligible for the Foundation’s care. And parents – to live together with the deceased.

The main task of the foundation is “creation of conditions that ensure a decent life and active work of NWO participants, other persons and members of their families.” It is assumed that the fund will provide its wards with medicines and medical devices, including those not registered in the Russian Federation and not included in the federal list (for example, modern highly functional prostheses). And, if indicated, assist them in obtaining rehabilitation, home care, spa treatment and palliative care services. The Foundation will also be able to organize work to adapt the living quarters of NVO veterans to their individual needs. “Defenders of the Fatherland” were promised free legal assistance related to the registration of social support measures, and free counseling with a psychologist. They will be offered to undergo retraining for a more demanded specialty and will be assisted in finding employment. (The decree instructs the governors to create separate divisions in the employment services, which will specialize in the participants of the SVO.) In addition, through the fund, it is planned to involve veterans of the special operation in social activities and propaganda related to the patriotic education of citizens, the protection of historical memory and “strengthening the role of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values”. It is planned that they will become participants in programs aimed at “glorifying the exploits of members of the NWO and other persons.”

No benefits are mentioned in the decree. All social support measures are already provided for by Law No. 5-FZ “On Veterans” (The main thing is a monthly allowance in the amount of 3,896 rubles, as well as tax benefits and a 50% discount on housing costs.) Members of the SVO can apply for veteran status either before sending to the war zone (however, few use this opportunity), or after demobilization. (Members of the families of the victims will need a certificate of death of a serviceman, documents on his service and confirmation of family ties.) In March, Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree on registration of the status of a combat veteran for members of volunteer formations. If the citizens themselves cannot cope with the collection of the necessary documents, they can turn to the fund’s employees for help, the presidential decree says.

A separate paragraph of the document provides for the centralized registration of all demobilized SVO participants with the Social Fund of the Russian Federation. The amount of information about them is prescribed to be determined by the government. Ministers and governors are responsible for providing and updating information. The decree clarifies that the records must be kept in accordance with the requirements of the legislation on personal data and state secrets, however, the fund will be able to access the registry to organize “personal support” of their wards.

The management structure of the state fund is traditional for such organizations: the government will act as the founder (Putin appointed the wife of the governor of the Kemerovo region, businesswoman Anna Tsivileva, as chairman). The Supervisory Board will be headed by First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Sergei Kiriyenko, while the Board of Trustees will be headed by Labor Minister Anton Kotyakov. Among the sources of funding in the decree are budget allocations and voluntary donations in an unspecified amount. The central office, according to the decree, will employ 130 people, the number of employees of regional divisions, as well as social coordinators who will accompany the participants of the NWO, is to be determined by the government. It is assumed that the first year the fund will operate in a pilot mode: by April 1, 2024, the government will have to submit proposals to Putin “to clarify the main goals of the fund and expand its activities.”

Published in the newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets” No. 29003 dated April 4, 2023

Newspaper headline:
“One window” “defenders of the Fatherland”