The Law of Ukraine "On the Status of War Veterans, Guarantees of their Social Protection" regarding the enhancement of social protection of participants in the struggle for the independence of Ukraine in the 20th century came into force on March 26, 2019.
The final provisions of the law stipulate that the law shall come into force three months from the date of its publication, and it was published in the parliament's bulletin Holos Ukrainy on December 26, 2018.
According to the document, the list of combatants also includes those who took part in all forms of the armed struggle for Ukraine's independence in the 20th century as part of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), Polissian Sich, the Ukrainian People's Revolutionary Army (UNRA), the Carpathian Sich People's Defense Organization, the Ukrainian Military Organization (UVO), and the armed units of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN).
In accordance with the law on the legal status and remembrance of the fighters for the independence of Ukraine in the 20th century, they are recognized "fighters for the country's independence in the 20th century."
The procedure for granting the combatant status shall be established by the Cabinet of Ministers.
As UNIAN reported earlier, the Ukrainian parliament passed the draft law on December 6. A total of 236 out of the 326 lawmakers registered in the session hall voted the document.
According to the All-Ukrainian Brotherhood of the OUN-UPA named after General-Khorunzhyi Roman Shukhevych, the number of participants in the struggle for Ukraine's independence in the 20th century from among armed units of OUN and UPA was estimated at 1,201 people as of May 23, 2018, an explanatory note to the law said.