Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed amendments to the law on the status of war veterans, guarantees of their social protection, having extended a list of people entitled to combatant status with participants in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO).
According to the law, combatants include: servicemen (in reserve and liable for service) and employees of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, National Guard, the Security Service of Ukraine, Foreign Intelligence Service and State Border Guard Service, junior enlisted and command personnel of the Interior Ministry, interior troops, employees of the State Guard Directorate, the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection, other military formations created according to the law that protected Ukraine’s independency, sovereignty and territorial integrity, participated in the ATO and ensured its realization, as well as employees of enterprises, institutions and organizations that were engaged in the ATO in keeping with the required procedure.
Earlier, personnel of the Defense Ministry, the State Border Guard Service, the State Guard Directorate, and civilian specialists of the Defense Ministry were not entitled to combatant status.
