You're reading: Poroshenko orders government to give more guarantees to anti-terrorist operation soldiers

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a decree on strengthening social guarantees for servicemen engaged in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) and their families, as well as citizens residing in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The decree on urgent measures to provide additional social guarantees to certain categories of citizens, dated Oct. 29, has been posted on the website of the head of state.

According to the document, the Cabinet of Ministers should draft and submit for consideration by the Verkhovna Rada a bill on the social protection of persons who defended Ukraine’s independence and were directly involved in the anti-terrorist operation as members of volunteer battalions, and their families, as well as a bill on amendments to the law of Ukraine on the status of war veterans and guarantees of their social protection concerning the provision of the said persons with the right to enter higher educational institutions out of competition.

The government should also prepare proposals on granting the right to enter universities out of competition to children whose parents (or parent) died during participation in the anti-terrorist operation or as a result of injury, as well as take urgent measures on resolving the issue of transferring to education for state budget funds the children of those who participated in the hostilities.

The decree comes into force on the day of its publication.