Svitlana Hrytsenko, Board Member of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation and Head of the RECOVERY and RETURNING projects, has been awarded the Order of Merit, III degree. The corresponding Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 136/2026 has been published on the official website of the Head of State.
The award recognizes the team’s systematic work and the consistent support provided by Victor and Olena Pinchuk in creating and developing a national ecosystem for the physical and psychological recovery of servicemen and women, veterans, and their family members.
“We are developing the RECOVERY and RETURNING projects with deep gratitude to the servicemen and women who are defending Ukraine today. Reports contain numbers — the number of centers, patients, educational programs. But for us, behind every figure stands a specific person: their pain, their recovery journey, their family. RECOVERY and RETURNING are about support, dignity, and respect for every defender. We work to ensure that assistance is systematic, high-quality, and accessible wherever it is needed,” said Svitlana Hrytsenko, Board Member of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation and Head of the RECOVERY and RETURNING projects.
The RECOVERY and RETURNING projects are examples of successful partnership between the private sector and the state, where philanthropists create and develop innovative centers for physical and mental recovery based within public medical institutions.
As of today, 18 innovative RECOVERY rehabilitation centers are operating across Ukraine, providing free services to servicemen and women. More than 40,000 heroes have already received rehabilitation care within the network. In 2026, the network is expected to expand to at least 20 centers, with the capacity to rehabilitate approximately 27,000 servicemen and women annually.
At the same time, RECOVERY systematically invests in the development of the professional community, recognizing that specialists shape the future of Ukrainian rehabilitation. The project regularly implements professional training and development programs. More than 6,400 medical professionals — both from within the network and beyond — have already participated in educational events and internships in the United States and 10 European countries.
Within the framework of the nationwide RETURNING project, aimed at supporting the mental health of servicemen, veterans, and their families, more than 10,000 individuals have already received assistance. Currently, 11 mental recovery centers are operating, and the first stage of the project предусматриes the opening of 25 centers across Ukraine.
RETURNING also implements an educational track focused on the systemic development of the mental health sector. In cooperation with Ukrainian and international experts, training programs for specialists — including webinars, workshops, and supervision sessions — are being implemented. During its first year, the educational component engaged more than 1,500 participants through 90 events in Ukraine and abroad.
The RECOVERY and RETURNING projects represent a model of long-term and systematic support for Ukrainian servicemen, veterans, and their families — with a focus on quality of care, professional excellence, and sustainable solutions.