On July 30, a Memorandum on partnership and cooperation was signed between representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the National Guard of Ukraine, one of the medical centers of NSU and the RETURN project, which was founded by Viktor and Olena Pinchuk to support the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine.
The purpose of the Memorandum is the cooperation of the parties to create a mental health center for defenders of Ukraine and their families on the basis of a medical facility of the National Guard of Ukraine.
A Memorandum of Partnership and Cooperation was signed by Inna Yashchuk, State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine; Oleksandr Pivnenko, Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine; and Svitlana Hrytsenko, Head of the RETURNING and RECOVERY projects and a member of the Board of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation.
Svitlana Hrytsenko, Head of the RETURNING and RECOVERY projects and a member of the Board of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, said that her organization is interested in cooperating with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and its structural units to ensure that Ukrainian defenders and their families receive high-quality psychological support.
“Cooperation with the National Guard of Ukraine demonstrates how the private sector and the state can join forces to support those who have experienced psychological trauma as a result of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. This is not our first partnership with the Ministry of Internal Affairs — in the spring, a memorandum was signed on establishing a RETURNING center at a key medical facility of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kyiv. Now this cooperation is expanding. The future RETURNING mental health center will become part of the nationwide network that Victor and Olena Pinchuk are creating to support military personnel, veterans, and their families in every region. It is particularly important that the center will work with heroes and heroines who have returned from captivity. Helping those who defended and continue to defend our country recover mentally is our duty and our honor,” said Svitlana Hrytsenko, Head of the RETURNING project and a member of the Board of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation.
During the official signing ceremony, Inna Yashchuk, State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, emphasized the importance of treatment, rehabilitation, and social support for military personnel. In this context, the ministry is cooperating with the RETURNING project.
“The leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is making every effort to develop departmental military medicine and strengthen the infrastructure of medical and rehabilitation centers for Ukrainian defenders. This work involves ongoing interagency cooperation with other government institutions, charitable foundations, governments of other countries, and international organizations. One successful example of social partnership is our cooperation with the RETURNING project.”
In particular, a RECOVERY rehabilitation center is already successfully operating at a healthcare facility of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, while a mental health center for military personnel, veterans, and their families — RETURNING — is also being established. The partnership also includes professional development programs and exchanges of expertise between doctors and mental health professionals.
“Joint work on establishing a mental health center at one of the healthcare facilities of the National Guard of Ukraine, as well as the joint formation of a team of specialists, will help us heal the invisible wounds of our defenders more quickly and effectively,” said the State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
She emphasized that doctors within the Ministry of Internal Affairs system regularly improve their qualifications and undertake internships abroad. The ministry is also working to modernize its infrastructure and medical services.
“We are developing various areas of therapy in treatment and rehabilitation. Currently, at the initiative of Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko, the first departmental prosthetics center is being established.”
Inna Yashchuk thanked Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine Oleksandr Pivnenko for his continued care for military personnel and his particular attention to service members released from captivity, the families of fallen soldiers, prisoners of war, and people missing in action.
Oleksandr Pivnenko, Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine, emphasized that the development of treatment and rehabilitation is among the organization’s priorities, and that implementing the measures outlined in the Memorandum will help accelerate this work. He also thanked the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for its support and effective coordination with partners, and the RETURNING project for its important social initiative.
“The National Guard of Ukraine, with the support of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and its partners, is modernizing the infrastructure of medical and rehabilitation centers. We are opening new departments, equipping them with modern medical equipment, and training medical personnel. An extremely important part of this process is the creation of a network of centers for the psychological recovery of military personnel. This issue is highly relevant both during the war and after it ends. The new mental health center, which will operate in cooperation with the RETURNING project, will focus on the psychological recovery of service members released from captivity,” said the Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Vsevolod Stebliuk, Head of the Military Medical Directorate of the National Guard of Ukraine, said that the efforts of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Guard of Ukraine have resulted in a modern medical center for National Guard personnel. Service members receive high-quality treatment and physical rehabilitation services there, while the social partnership with the RETURNING project will help provide high-quality psychological recovery services in an inpatient setting.
Background Information
RETURNING (Ukr. «ПОВЕРНЕННЯ») is a nationwide project founded by Ukrainian philanthropists Victor and Olena Pinchuk. The project includes the creation of a nationwide network of RETURNING mental health centers where military personnel, veterans, and their family members can receive free professional support. The project plans to establish 20–25 mental health centers across Ukraine, where more than 100,000 military personnel, veterans, and their family members will be able to receive free support annually.
Significant attention is also devoted to implementing world-class educational programs for mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychotherapists, to ensure effective, evidence-based treatment and psychological support. In 2025, more than 90 educational events are planned as part of the project, ranging from lectures to practical training sessions and internships, aimed at strengthening professionals’ knowledge and skills in working with military personnel, veterans, and their families.
Other news:
Ukrainian Mental Health Professionals Take Part in Study Visit to the United Kingdom as Part of RETURNING
The 17th Mental Health Center in the RETURNING Network Begins Operations at a National Guard of Ukraine Medical Facility
The 16th Mental Health Center in the RETURNING Network Opens in the Kyiv Region
An Ecosystem of Mental Health Care: What Was Discussed at the RETURNING Network Conference?
