“At the end of 2022, we began building not just a project, but a comprehensive ecosystem for reintegrating veterans. For us, the return of former service personnel is not only about corporate social responsibility: it is part of Metinvest’s DNA. At the same time, it represents significant opportunities for people: today, around 4,000 vacancies are open across the Group’s enterprises,” Petruk said.
Over more than a decade of war, around 11,000 Metinvest employees have joined Ukraine’s defence forces. Of these, 1,000 veterans have returned to work, while over 8,000 continue to defend the country in the Armed Forces, National Guard and other units.
Metinvest has progressed from initial attempts and lessons learned to a systematic approach to addressing the needs of former service personnel. The veteran reintegration ecosystem is based on the principles of responsibility, consistency and internal fairness, and covers five key areas. These are psychological and physical rehabilitation; social support; professional adaptation, retraining and upskilling; preparation of team leaders and staff for the return of demobilised colleagues; and support for mobilised employees and their families.
“It is not veterans who should integrate into society: it is society that must adapt to the new reality,” Petruk emphasised.
In the series, MHP, an international agri- and food technology company, also shares its experience in working with veterans.
According to the project’s authors, as of 2025, Ukraine already has over 1.5 million veterans, meaning that every 30th Ukrainian has combat experience. Following the end of the war, the figure could rise to 5 million.
A documentary series on business and human rights, “WE”, presents the stories of 10 leading Ukrainian companies. Across five episodes, they openly share their experience and practical insights for those contributing to the country’s economic development.
The series forms part of the “Business & Human Rights Initiative: Towards a Sustainable and Responsible Future”, implemented as part of the project “Transformational Recovery for Human Security in Ukraine”, funded by the government of Japan and delivered by the United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine.
The episode “Veterans in Business” can be watched on the UN Global Compact in Ukraine YouTube channel.