Yuri Shalabaev told the families of the participants in the Special Military Operation about the current support measures while meeting with the wives and mothers of Nizhny Novgorod fighters.

      The city head, Yuri Shalabaev, informed the families of the participants of the special military operation (SMO) about the existing support measures during a meeting with the wives and mothers of Nizhny Novgorod fighters. The meeting, held at one of the military units in the city, was also attended by the chairman of the Nizhny Novgorod City Duma, Evgeny Chintsov, deputy head of the administration Irina Kondyreva, director of the department of social policy Galina Gurenko, director of the department of social communications and youth policy Artur Stoyan, and head of the Sormovsky district Svetlana Gorbunova. Before the event began, Yuri Shalabaev and Evgeny Chintsov laid flowers at the monument to the soldiers who died while fulfilling their military duty. Addressing those present, the city head noted that he often meets with SMO participants, their relatives, and loved ones because he understands that the problems arising for both the fighters and their families are common; they cannot be separated and must be solved comprehensively. "We need to make this work systematic and regular. This is very important for us. It is important to understand the issues, and it is important to ensure that the arising questions are resolved not formally but brought to a logical conclusion," noted Yuri Shalabaev, suggesting that those present hold a "question-answer" format meeting. "Our task is to help; we cannot solve all questions immediately. Some require time, others resources. Some questions fall under the authority of federal or regional authorities. But we will solve them all together. We will support you, if necessary, until your issue is resolved, even if it does not depend on the municipality; we will convey your requests to those who need to resolve them," emphasized Yuri Shalabaev. During the meeting, about 15 questions were discussed. Several of them concerned the organization of parking for SMO participants near their homes and the use of paid parking. As explained by the head of the Sormovsky district, Svetlana Gorbunova, who has experience in resolving such issues, to organize parking for SMO participants with disabilities, it is first necessary to hold a meeting of homeowners to determine their location. The city head instructed Svetlana Gorbunova and the housing management company to assist with document collection and the organization of parking spaces. Regarding the nuances of using paid parking for SMO participants and the procedure for registering vehicles, instructions were given to the transport department. The attendees were also interested in issues related to obtaining land plots and compensation for utility services. According to Yuri Shalabaev, these issues require resolution at the regional government level. Corresponding requests will be sent from both the city head and the chairman of the city Duma. The mother of an SMO participant, Marina Lipatova, a resident of Artel Street, appealed to the city head with a request to resolve the issue of repairing the ventilation system in her house, which was damaged due to snow accumulation. The city head instructed the head of the Soviet district, Alexander Ivanov, to assist with the issue and organize work from responsible parties in the near future. "You know, this is my first time attending such a meeting. My son just said, 'Mom, go, speak up, they will help you.' I believe this is a very good initiative with these meetings because sometimes our requests get stalled at the very initial stage, and we don’t even know where to turn. Therefore, I think this is a wonderful event, and they definitely need to be held," shared Marina Lipatova. The widow of an SMO participant, Anna Kunitsina, is collecting humanitarian aid for the fighters. She appealed to the city head for help in organizing fairs where aid for the fighters is collected. Yuri Shalabaev instructed to assist in resolving this issue. "We prepared for the meeting for a long time. I liked that it was held in an open format. Initially, there was some embarrassment, but then the questions flowed naturally. There was very active feedback; at the meeting, the head of the administration, social protection, and other structures all actively engaged with our questions," noted Anna Kunitsina. During the conversation, the city head emphasized that the municipality provides 15 support measures alongside regional and federal assistance for SMO participants and their families. These include one-time payments upon contract signing (up to 500,000 rubles), school payments for first-graders (10,000 rubles), and compensation for expenses on children's camp vouchers (up to 35,000 rubles). The children receive free two meals a day in schools, families are exempt from paying for kindergartens, extended day groups, clubs, and sections. SMO participants have the right to free use of paid parking and free access to sports complexes, among other benefits. According to the wife of an SMO participant, Zhanna Bugrova, she learned a lot of new information at the meeting: "The questions and answers were useful. They were more detailed than when you contact the website. My husband is already waiting for me to tell him about it and share my impressions. It was exciting, but it was worth it." Yuri Shalabaev also mentioned that in each district of the city, departments have been created to provide targeted assistance to SMO participants and their families, which operate in a "single window" mode. They can be contacted for any arising questions. "Military personnel and their relatives do not like to complain, so I am glad that people came and shared their problems. We had a lively dialogue with the mothers and wives of military personnel: those who are currently in the zone of the special military operation, need rehabilitation, or have died while fulfilling their military duty. The questions raised are mostly solvable. We have already passed them for processing and, together with the city head, have taken them under personal control. We will also make systematic decisions that will help in the future to receive the necessary support measures without delays," said the chairman of the city Duma, Evgeny Chintsov. Summarizing the meeting, Yuri Shalabaev noted that communication in this format will continue regularly. "We will communicate, help, and together bring closer our common victory," concluded the mayor.