President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Ms Tsivileva, today I would like to discuss the aspect of your work that is directly related to the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation.
I know that a great deal is being done, but the most important thing is the personal warmth and dedication you bring to this work. This is absolutely essential in such matters. You must maintain this approach in the future. This is exactly how we should interact with our service personnel who are defending our Motherland.
That said, despite the extensive work being done, as with any such undertaking, there will always be issues that require particular attention. It is possible that some issues or problems arise, which the state previously missed but must resolve now.
Please report on all these areas and, of course, on the results.
Deputy Minister of Defence Anna Tsivileva: Mr President,
Two and a half years ago, the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation was established by your Executive Order. Today, it employs 4,300 social coordinators who carry out their duties not only in all regions of the Russian Federation – our branches are present across the country – but also in municipalities, in small districts, towns, and villages. These are the places where our veterans – participants in the special military operation – return to, and where their families and friends live.
Perhaps the foundation’s main achievement is that we have not simply organised our work in accordance with the Presidential Executive Order and the charter but have created an entire socioeconomic ecosystem. This system deals with rehabilitation and resocialisation, but most importantly, the reintegration of our heroes, as well as their families – particularly the vulnerable category of those who have lost loved ones or whose relatives are missing in action.
Naturally, this work cannot be done dispassionately. Thousands of our social coordinators and employees are themselves participants in the special military operation or their relatives, people who have travelled this path and now have the strength, desire and readiness to help others.
I would like to emphasise that this work has been organised, in large part, thanks to our close and consistent cooperation with other ministries and federal executive bodies. We have established a highly effective interdepartmental cooperation framework. We actively participate in the work of the Government, as well as the legislative bodies: the State Duma and the Federation Council. We maintain ongoing cooperation with all ministries and relevant federal executive authorities whose decisions directly affect the integration of our veterans into civilian life and the provision of assistance to them.
We also work in close coordination with the security agencies: first and foremost with the Ministry of Defence, the Prosecutor’s Office, the Federal Security Service, the Federal Guard Service, the National Guard, and Rosfinmonitoring. In other words, with all agencies that support our efforts and help address a wide range of issues that arise. You are absolutely right in saying that we often face complex, non-standard, and extraordinary challenges. The format you created – a state foundation with a flexible rather than a rigid bureaucratic structure that works directly with individual requests – has proven its effectiveness. This structure makes it possible to act quickly and make decisions promptly, even in situations that are new not only for us, but also for the state. Thanks to this coordinated approach, decisions on assistance are made swiftly and reach our veterans in the shortest possible time.
Feedback is an essential task for us. Each veteran is supported by a dedicated social coordinator who works directly with the individual and their family, fully understanding their specific circumstances and needs. Our objective is not merely to resolve an issue or respond to an inquiry, but to accompany the veteran through every stage until the matter is fully resolved. It is essential that a veteran knows that a social coordinator is always there: a constant point of support and guidance throughout their lives.
Over the two and a half years of our operation, we have received approximately 2.3 million requests and appeals for various forms of assistance. Of these, 96 percent have been resolved positively. In addition, the Federal Guard Service conducted a sociological survey to assess the level of trust our core audience places in the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation. The results show a 90 percent approval rate, which is a strong indicator of confidence and trust on the part of our beneficiaries.
What are our areas of focus and our responsibilities? They mainly cover essential support services: obtaining necessary documents, payments, ensuring access to state social security benefits, offering free legal assistance, and arranging medical care, including health resort treatment when needed. Special care is provided for those who are injured, severely wounded, or disabled. They receive modern prosthetics – including devices not listed on the federal programme – or, if necessary, we pay an additional fee to the Social Fund to secure a certificate, allowing the individual to obtain prosthetics that restore as much functionality as possible.
This marks a major advancement in the prosthetic field, which has evolved considerably over the past year and a half as we established a standard for prosthetic care. We are now funding not just the prosthesis itself, but a full spectrum of services, including rehabilitation, pre-fitting preparation, fitting, and training in prosthetic use. Thanks to this comprehensive approach, our heroes can now genuinely lead fully active lives.
During the prosthetic industry exhibition at the Federation Council, Valentina Matviyenko and I were touring the displays when we met some of our service members who, despite serious injuries, had chosen to continue serving in the Ministry of Defence. They shared how they had run a half marathon – nearly 22 kilometres – and were training for a full marathon. Ms Matviyenko rightly remarked, “What kind of disabled persons are they? Few of those here could perform the work these guys do.” And she was absolutely right. Therefore, reviewing regulations, including legislative ones, has now become a routine part of our work because…
Vladimir Putin: Any revisions must not, under any circumstances, infringe the rights of our guys.
Anna Tsivileva: Of course.
Vladimir Putin: These changes should serve only to improve and stabilise their situation, never to make it worse.
Anna Tsivileva: Exactly. Our initiatives are driven entirely by the veterans’ own requests; they do not infringe their rights but instead provide them with additional opportunities. We often receive inquiries on key issues such as acquiring new skills, retraining, and further education. This also extends to employment and resocialisation, aiming for the full integration of individuals into society, regardless of their disabilities.
In other words, we have fundamentally reshaped society’s perception of people with disabilities. They are no longer seen merely as individuals in need of help, but as people with the opportunity to lead active lives, benefit the state, and fully pursue their goals and aspirations. This represents an entirely new mindset, one inspired by the veterans themselves through their proactive approach to life and their determination to continue serving the state, even in civilian roles.
This [presentation] briefly covers our spheres of activity in figures. One of them is medical assistance. We consider it important to conduct a medical examination of those who return [from the special military operation] because medical support they will receive from healthcare facilities depends on the state of their health. Based on the results of medical examination of 65,000 such people, we have identified health issues in 55,000 cases and new medical conditions in 12,000 cases. Checking up on your health is really very important, especially since our heroes do not pay much attention to their health. Like other people, they sometimes have latent health issues. If left unattended, they can eventually reactivate, whereas comprehensive health screening helps young people take care of their health, improving their health or dealing with medical problems that got worse during the hostilities.
The family factor is extremely important. According to statistics, rehabilitation is much more effective when you have a close relative by your side. We encourage families to accompany our heroes during rehabilitation programmes and even cover the cost of these trips.
Other issues have to do with providing technical means of rehabilitation. It is also important that we help improve living conditions in houses and flats where people with disabilities live. This is very important; it makes everyday life more comfortable for them and their families. This includes specialised kitchens, bathrooms, special openings, and smart home equipment. If they decide to work from home, which some of them do, especially those who are wheelchair-bound or have lost their eyesight, we provide the necessary equipment so that they can work from home and also receive new competencies, for example, online.
We have a wonderful programme used at School 21, Sberbank’s school of digital technology, where IT professionals, including those who were seriously wounded or have lost their eyesight, are trained remotely.
Speaking about prosthetic devices, our men are good athletes seriously engaged in sports.
As for retraining and employment, it is an extremely important sphere, as I have pointed out. Moreover, it is very important for us to help our veterans expand their horizons. In this photo you can see our veteran, a long-haul driver. We travelled with him in his KAMAZ truck. The KAMAZ manufacturer has started making hand-controlled trucks and buses, including public transport, which we have seen at the Abilympics competition in Kazan, so that our veterans can use prosthetic legs and arms to resume their profession.
Of course, there is great demand for our programme of providing vehicles to double amputees. Our men not only gladly use them to work and spend time with their families but also willingly take part in rallies and even take extreme driving courses.
Certainly, we engage our veterans in sporting and cultural events. Sports play a vital role for them. We have individuals with prosthetics who go mountaineering. There was an instance this year of them climbing Mount Elbrus. We have a team that plays rugby and goes skiing, having mastered these sports while using prosthetics. They also take part in snowboarding. Indeed, the demand for active sports is very high
This serves not only as a means of improving health, but also as a tool for resocialisation, as it transforms a combat brotherhood into a sporting one. They come together, share experience, support each other, feel much more at ease and confident, and, of course, challenge one another to competitions and various contests. They meet and communicate very actively.
Regional governors also provide active support, and we regularly hold Defenders of the Fatherland Cup competitions.
A particularly important area is our veterans’ participation in the patriotic education of young people and in preserving the memory of our heroes, their comrades-in-arms. Memorial plaques are being established, and various projects are being developed that truthfully convey the story of a comrade’s feat. We have already published an entire trilogy – three books written by veterans themselves, our heroes who are participants in the special military operation.
Vladimir Putin: Are they the authors?
Anna Tsivileva: Yes, they are the authors.
These books have now been eagerly taken up by our film directors and producers, with plays being staged in the regions based precisely on these real-life stories and accounts written by our heroes.
I would also like to note that we have actively implemented the instructions on which you gave us your support, and they have proven to be very necessary and in demand. As I mentioned earlier, this includes the distribution of vehicles. But we also had another project – the design, production, and distribution of adaptive clothing for our veterans, taking into account their specific conditions and injuries.
This is particularly important work, and it originated from seeing, during meetings with veterans, how they would adapt regular clothing for themselves, cutting and sewing it themselves. This is, of course, unsatisfactory. We now have a project we named On Wings, which brought together our designers and clothing manufacturers to begin producing stylish, fashionable clothing for various purposes. This includes business suits, sportswear, casual wear, and even evening attire for formal events, all tailored to the specific needs of individuals with disabilities.
Through the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation, we distribute such sets – comprising winter, summer, and demi-season outfits as complete collections. The greatest number of requests is precisely for this clothing. It allows our veterans, these young men, to feel fashionable and stylish, which is their wish. One of their key desires is for this clothing not to highlight their disability but to be like everyone else’s. That is our objective here.
Furthermore, for those who continue to serve within the structures of the Ministry of Defence and security agencies, clothing and military uniforms are now being developed with account for disabilities, prosthetics, and even specialised footwear. This is very important.
Another project we have implemented with you is the effort to expand the scope of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation’s work to include the families of those missing in action. This initiative now allows us to provide these families with crucial support, including psychological support. Their members often become psychologists themselves and it gives them a chance to process their own grief, fosters a powerful sense of community and shared purpose; this peer support model helps them find respite from their grief.
Many of the women who have themselves lost loved ones have become trained psychologists and our foundation staff. Furthermore, we offer this category of beneficiaries comprehensive assistance in securing due payments and legal support.
A particularly sensitive issue has also been successfully resolved. Combat veteran status has now been granted to individuals from special military units who contracted with the Ministry of Defence directly from penal institutions. The core concern was one of perceived inequity, as these individuals had demonstrably atoned for past offences through their service. Their persistent request for formal veteran recognition and the full spectrum of social benefits that accompany it has now been fulfilled thanks to your support. This matter is now resolved.
Pursuant to the Minister’s instruction, we are actively digitalising the Defence Ministry’s operations, specifically social support mechanisms. A key example is the certificate of participation in the special military operation. Previously, obtaining this document involved months of bureaucratic procedures. Now, it is accessible almost instantly with a single click through the government services portal. This certificate is directly linked to approximately 70 percent of state-provided social support measures.
Furthermore, we are developing a unified data platform, or “data mart.” This system will integrate all support measures available to a veteran based on their region of residence. All regions will be connected to this platform by the end of the current year. Its primary benefit is proactive, simplified access: veterans will be able to obtain information via the government services portal about support measures for which they are eligible.
Therefore, digital transformation is a critical priority for us – given the scale of our mission, the requirements we must meet, and, most importantly, our own internal drive to deliver these improvements as quickly as possible.
We would also like to make a proposal. First of all, we would like to thank you for the extensive support you have provided and for helping us implement a large number of important initiatives. However, there are several issues I would like to raise.
The first concerns active-duty military personnel who currently fall outside the scope of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation, as our mandate formally applies only to those who have been discharged from the security services.
Vladimir Putin: There are those who choose to remain in service.
Anna Tsivileva: Exactly. Among them are soldiers who, despite having sustained severe injuries or disabilities, continue their service. They undoubtedly deserve the same level of care and support. This includes access to prosthetics, technical rehabilitation equipment, the adaptation of their living conditions, as I mentioned earlier, and the opportunity to participate in sporting events, including covering travel expenses for competitions such as the Defenders of the Fatherland Cup. This category of soldiers regularly turns to us for assistance.
At present, we are addressing these needs through extra-budgetary resources and sponsors. However, we believe this assistance should be provided on a systemic basis. Young men who became disabled as a result of combat-related injuries should also fall within our scope of care in terms of support in these areas.
The second category includes those who participated in counter-terrorism operations in our border regions. We propose extending our coverage to include them as well.
These are the issues and requests we have. The Supervisory Board has approved this proposal, and we respectfully ask for your support in amending the relevant Executive Order.
Vladimir Putin: Let us do this. What difference does it make whether combat operations took place in a border area or in the special military operation zone? Formally, there is no difference. These individuals were defending the Fatherland under life-threatening conditions, and they sustained serious injuries. For the state, and for society, this distinction should not exist. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to extend this support to both categories.
As for the first group, this is equally self-evident. Perhaps this situation was not fully considered previously: if a person remains in service within the Armed Forces, it may appear that they remain under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence. But that should not concern us. It should not matter. A person took part in hostilities and was seriously wounded; of course, the state has an obligation to ensure they can feel fully in-demand, not only within their service in the Ministry of Defence, but also beyond it. As you rightly noted, they should have full access to sports and to housing adapted to their post-injury needs. This must, without question, be done.
I would like to thank you and everyone working at the foundation, not only for the results you have achieved, but also for the sincere and caring attitude toward your work and toward people. This is the most important thing. I see that our men recognise this, feel it, understand it, and support your efforts. For my part, I will do everything possible to ensure that this work continues to be carried out as effectively as possible.
Thank you, Ms Tsivileva.
<…>