Published on: 2026-09-24
Source: Government of the Russian Federation –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
About 200 veterans of the special military operation from all regions of the country took part in the All-Russian gatherings of the Association of SVO Veterans at the Far Eastern Federal University venue, and the association already has more than 40 thousand members in total.
“40 thousand frontline comrades who have gone through the special military operation. This was the very purpose of its creation: to form a fellowship and community beyond military service that people trust. The increasing trust was demonstrated by the recently held elections to the State Duma, as well as regional electoral campaigns. Your representatives were elected to all branches of government, which on one hand is a vote of confidence, and on the other hand is a managerial potential that will allow you to address issues as legislators. The Association of SVO veterans has more and more of its people in government,” emphasized Sergey Novikov, Head of the President’s Directorate for Public Projects, while greeting the participants of the gathering.
Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev noted the scale of the deployed support programs for the participants of the Special Military Operation – from medical rehabilitation to free retraining and assistance with employment – in his welcoming address.
“The guys who returned from the Special Military Operation were on the front line. They know firsthand what real combat is, what it means to lose comrades in arms, and what it means to win. This is the core on which the security and sovereignty of our country rests today. Each of these guys is a hero, regardless of rank and awards. The country needs strong-willed and courageous people, ready to give all their strength for the benefit of the Motherland. I am confident that during the meetings issues will be raised on how best to apply the skills and experience of these guys to make Russia stronger,” said Yuri Trutnev.
The main goal of the gathering is primarily the exchange of experience and the best regional practices for reintegrating fighters returning from the front into peaceful life. In addition to veterans, it included leaders of government bodies from all regions of the Far Eastern Federal District, the Russian Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East, and the Far Eastern Federal University. Vera Shcherbina, First Vice-Governor of Primorsky Krai, noted that the region was one of the first in Russia where the provision of housing for children of participants in the Special Military Operation (SMO) who died or became disabled in Group I has been implemented at the legislative level. Over three years, 681 children have been provided with housing.
In turn, the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East announced the preparation of a special program for participants of the special military operation (SVO) related to the mechanism of the Far Eastern hectare. As Grigoriy Smolyak, director of the Department for Social Development of the Far East and Arctic, explained, it will allow veterans to combine obtaining land, building housing, and developing their own businesses.
“Support for veterans of the special military operation is one of the important directions of government work in the Far East. The task of the Russian Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East is to create conditions under which, after returning to peaceful life, a person can apply their knowledge and experience, obtain a sought-after profession, find a job, or start their own business. To achieve this, it is necessary to unite the efforts of the federal center, development institutions, regions, enterprises, educational organizations, and public associations, carefully study the requests of the veterans themselves, and develop the most effective practices. Today, the Far East has broad opportunities for professional and entrepreneurial realization. The Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East participates in creating such opportunities through the development of investment projects, support for industry, small and medium enterprises, and the creation of new jobs. A separate direction is the development of the production base of the TOR ‘Patriotic’, where enterprises manufacture in-demand products for the needs of the front and the rehabilitation of veterans.”It is important that the experience of our citizens gained in the special military operation zone be applied in civilian life, and that the veterans themselves actively participate in the development of their regions and the entire country. The Russian Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East will provide veterans of the special military operation with active and effective support in this process,” said Grigory Smolyak.
As noted by the rector of the Far Eastern Federal University, Boris Korobets, currently 620 veterans of the special military operation and their family members are studying at the university; more than 1,000 fighters have undergone rehabilitation at the medical complex of FEFU, and over 200 people have completed 52 retraining and advanced training programs.
On the first day of the training camps, project sessions were also held dedicated to commemorating the memory of the defenders of the Fatherland and shaping the image of the SVO veteran in the media space. On September 25, their participants will conduct a unified lesson of courage for schoolchildren, college students, and members of patriotic clubs of the FEFU. The meetings will take place simultaneously at 17 venues and will cover more than 3,000 students.
“We have achieved a lot: we have created an organization that operates across the country, we have established work with our partners, we have united people. From the example of the recent elections, we see the trust that people place in the SVO veterans. Society expects our experience and skills to serve the benefit of our state in peacetime. We have no right to fail. That is why we are here, exchanging experiences and best practices, jointly developing ways for the further development of the veterans’ community,” summed up the first day of the gathering co-chairman of the Coordinating Council of the SVO Veterans Association, Dmitry Afanasyev.
The ‘Warrior’ center presented its work, where under the guidance of instructors—veterans of combat operations and the special military operation—youth acquire basic military training. Participants of the assembly got acquainted with the center’s projects and programs. Special attention was given to the work of the recently opened branch of the ‘Warrior’ center in Primorsky Krai. For the guests, masterclasses were held on drone operation using the domestic simulator ‘Quadrosim’.
“It is a great honor for us to present the ‘Warrior’ center at the All-Russian gathering of the Association of Special Military Operation veterans. Our branch in Primorsky Krai has just started its work, but we already see enormous interest from both the youth and the veteran community. Here, our instructors teach young people skills useful both in military service and civilian life. Participating in the gatherings allowed us to exchange our developments and adopt the best practices of colleagues from other regions to make the patriotic education of youth even more effective and in demand,” said Roman Osenev, director of the ‘Warrior’ center branch in Primorsky Krai.
Association of Veterans of the Special Military Operation– the leading public organization of veterans of the special military operation in Russia, established in May 2023 on the initiative of the veterans of the special operation themselves and the largest veteran organizations in the country. The goal aAssociation – the consolidation of participants of the special military operation and their public associations to protect rights, represent legitimate interests, involve participants of the special military operation in public life of the country, and foster patriotic education of citizens. The Association of Special Military Operation Veterans unites veterans of the special operation from various units, branches, and types of troops, of different ages and interests, around constructive ideas for development for the benefit of Russia in civilian life. Regional organizations of the Association of Special Military Operation Veterans have been established in all subjects of the Russian Federation.
The Association of Special Military Operation Veterans is implementing a set of measures for its members andassociations related to support in employment, retraining and requalification, support for the development of sports and creative teams of members of the Association of SVO Veterans, social support for persons undergoing inpatient treatment.
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