Ten days surrounded by nature and among people who understand one another without the need for words – that is what the Veteran Camping programme offers. Time there is dedicated to health, recovery, new experiences, and face-to-face communication. This is how the Veteran Camping programme works, a corporate initiative launched by Metinvest in 2025 for its employees who served to protect Ukraine. For the second consecutive year, the programme has been helping war veterans restore their strength, discover inner resilience, and return to active civilian life with greater confidence. 

This year's season of the programme is taking place in the Poltava region. Since May, the fourth group of veterans from Metinvest enterprises has been undergoing rehabilitation. 

The Veteran Camping programme is something much more than just a stay at a sanatorium. The programme is based on a comprehensive rehabilitation approach that combines care for physical and mental health, psychological support, activities, and social interaction among veterans. Over the course of ten days, veterans undergo individual medical check-ups, receive prescribed physiotherapy and electrotherapy treatments, singlet oxygen therapy sessions, massages, attend swimming pools, take part in water-based procedures, and attend aromatherapy sessions. For many participants, this time provides an opportunity to focus on their health and once again experience the joy of life's simple moments. 

One of the programme's greatest advantages, according to participants, is its comprehensive approach to rehabilitation.

Dmytro CHEPURKO, a veteran and a loader at Kamet Steel's Railway Office, says:

"For me, this is the first time I have had such active talks within the veteran community. To be honest, it is incredible! After returning from the Poltava region, I once again felt genuinely positive and uplifted. The organisation of the camp was excellent. What impressed me most was the comprehensive approach, combining therapy for both body and the mind. I enjoyed absolutely everything: from sessions with psychologists and therapeutic procedures to warm interactions with animals. Most importantly, what helped me recharge was spending time with fellow veterans."

An important part of the programme is veterans' interaction with professional psychologists from BETOBEE, who also provide psychological support to the Company's employees and their family members through the "Metinvest Together!" service. During individual and group sessions with psychologists, veterans learn to better understand their emotional state, overcome the effects of stress, restore their inner balance, and find new sources of support after military service.

Participants say that equally valuable are the conversations with fellow veterans, people who share similar life experiences and understand one another without the need for lengthy explanations.

Kostiantyn MALATAI, Head of the Veterans' Association at Zaporizhstal, says:

"Returning to civilian life is a challenge for every veteran. It is essential not to be left alone with one’s experiences, but to have people nearby who understand you and are ready to offer support. This is precisely why such initiatives are of great importance. During the camp, the participants were able to take their minds off everyday concerns, rest, socialise, and simply spend time among their own."

Oleh SLINCHENKO, a war veteran and a lead engineer at Zaporizhstal's Metallurgical Equipment Maintenance and Repair Shop No. 1, adds:

"The camp provided an opportunity to reset both physically and mentally. We underwent a course of medical treatment and rehabilitation, communicated extensively, took part in various activities, and worked with a psychologist. In a veteran environment, one feels at ease, calm, and confident. Such support genuinely helps people move forward."

A special place in the programme is given to interaction with animals, which help veterans relieve emotional stress. Participants are introduced to hippotherapy, a form of therapy involving horses that helps reduce psychological stress and restore emotional balance. Canistherapy, which involves interaction with specially trained dogs, also evokes warm emotions.

Trips outside the sanatorium also contributed to a positive emotional state. Participants visited one of Ukraine's oldest breeding centres for trotting horses in the village of Dibrivka, as well as a goat farm in Vovnianka, where they tasted locally produced cheeses.

Serhii CHUKHMANSKYI, a veteran and an electrician at Kamet Steel's rolling mill shop, says:

"Together with the camp mentors, the organisers created a holistic system that genuinely helps people recover both physically and emotionally. I would also like to mention the atmosphere at the sanatorium: there was calm, peace, and comfort all around. We were surrounded by care and genuine warmth, exactly what many of us had been missing while at war." The rehabilitation went perfectly, absolutely 100%!"  

Life at the camp is full of activities. Veterans take part in art therapy sessions that help them develop their creativity and discover new ways to support their emotional recovery, as well as cooking workshops, excursions to picturesque locations across the Poltava region, and evening tea gatherings in a friendly atmosphere. For some groups, the programme also included water-based activities, particularly kayaking down the Khorol River, which became one of the most memorable experiences of the summer for many participants.

Viacheslav ZAVHORODIANSKYI, a veteran and a power engineer at Central Iron Ore's open-pit mine, shares his impressions: 

"The kayaking trip down the Khorol River was absolutely incredible. It was not even part of the original programme – it was a wonderful surprise. We even came home with new culinary skills after taking part in a pizza-making masterclass. I would also like to highlight the professionalism of the psychologist. The specialist helped me work through both family-related and post-combat issues." 

However, veterans say that the greatest value of the camp lies not in the treatments or excursions, but in the people. The support of fellow veterans, new friendships, sincere conversations, and the feeling that there are others nearby who have travelled a similar path help restore inner strength just as much as the rehabilitation programmes themselves. 

This view is shared by Oleksandr YERMAKOV, a veteran at Zaporizhstal and a rolling stock inspector at the Railway Transport Department: 

"These meetings help one to realise that you are not alone in going through the process of adaptation after service. We spoke about our combat experience, about our work, and about life after the front line. It is meaningful communication that brings people together."