From 10 to 170 thousand hryvnias: how the new system of combat pay for the military will work

The Defense Forces of Ukraine have updated the mechanism for accruing additional monetary rewards for servicemen. The innovations define the list of persons entitled to payments, the grounds for their accrual, and the deadlines for issuing the relevant orders.

This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Defense.

Regulatory framework for changes

The amount of new combat payments was determined by the Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 768 of June 12, 2026. The mechanism for their calculation was established by the Order of the Ministry of Defense No. 232 of June 29, which amended the Procedure for Payment of Monetary Benefits, approved by the Order of the Ministry of Defense No. 260 of June 7, 2018.

The official salary, salary by military rank, seniority bonus, and other permanent components of the cash benefit remain unchanged. New payments are being added to the existing system.

Payment for participation in hostilities

An additional remuneration of 100,000 hryvnias per month is accrued in proportion to the time of participation to military personnel who directly participate in combat operations in the areas where they are conducted. The grounds for payment are:

• conducting combat operations on the contact line to battalion depth inclusive;
• detection of enemy air targets in combat areas;
• flights in the airspace of areas where hostilities are taking place;
• fire damage to the enemy as part of missile forces, artillery or air defense units;
• actions on enemy territory;
• fire destruction of enemy air and sea targets;
• removing aircraft from under attack with takeoff;
• actions of ships, boats and vessels in sea and river waters outside the internal waters of ports and bases;
• work of medical personnel of medical units and subdivisions in combat areas;
• repelling an armed attack on protected objects and liberating such objects;
• demining at mission locations in accordance with combat orders.

Payment by control points

Military personnel who carry out operational management of units at the command posts of brigades, centers, regiments, consolidated units, battalions and detachments receive 50,000 hryvnias per month in proportion to time .

The criterion is not the location of the headquarters, but the area of combat operations of subordinate units. Security, support and service units that are part of such command posts do not receive this payment. For headquarters above the brigade level, the right to payment depends on inclusion in a separate list approved by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine or the Chief of the General Staff in agreement with the Ministry of Defense.

Pay for combat and special missions

30,000 hryvnias per month are provided for performing combat (special) tasks under combat orders, in particular:

• collective training during the restoration of combat readiness as part of the reserve of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• management of troop groups within the deployed command posts of the General Staff;
• work within the regions where hostilities are underway, as determined by the Commander-in-Chief or Chief of the General Staff;
• demining outside combat areas;
• comprehensive support for groups directly in combat areas;
• air cover and ground defense of critical infrastructure facilities outside military camps.

Rear allowance

A logistics allowance of 10,000 hryvnias per month is accrued in proportion to the time of performance of official duties to all military personnel who do not receive any of the above payments. The payment is not accrued to persons on leave with preservation of monetary support, assigned to the disposal of commanders, cadets of training military units and institutions, as well as those seconded for training or assigned to the variable reserve.

If a serviceman is simultaneously entitled to several payments from the scale of 100,000, 50,000, 30,000 or 10,000 hryvnias, only one is accrued – the larger one per day .

Payments to instructors

A separate pay scale has been introduced for instructors who work directly in combat military units:

• 25,000 hryvnias per month – for commanders (chiefs) of instructor units;
• 15,000 hryvnias per month – for instructors with a basic level of training for non-commissioned officers and a basic level of training for instructors;
• 25,000 hryvnias per month – for instructors with an average level of training for non-commissioned officers and an advanced level of training for instructors;
• 30,000 hryvnias per month – for instructors with an increased level of training for non-commissioned officers and an academic level of training for instructors;
• 30,000 hryvnias per month – for instructors of instructor units with the status of a participant in combat operations.

Zonal rewards

Zonal payments are tied to the distance from the front line and are calculated in proportion to the number of actual days spent in the relevant zone.

A payment of 170,000 hryvnias per month is provided for the performance of tasks at a distance to the platoon stronghold, inclusive, in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, in the territory between the positions of the Defense Forces and the enemy, or in the enemy’s territory. A payment of 70,000 hryvnias per month is accrued for the performance of tasks at a distance to the company stronghold, inclusive.

Assault rewards

For an assault with the capture of positions on the contact line or in the depths of the enemy’s defense, 40,000 hryvnias per day are provided. For the restoration of positions captured by infiltrated enemy groups in the depths of their own defense, 20,000 hryvnias per day are paid. If there are grounds for both payments in one day, the larger amount is charged.

Prisoner payments and battle results

For each captured prisoner of war, the unit that carried out the capture is awarded 100,000 hryvnias . For a confirmed result of close combat (rifle or hand-to-hand combat) recorded on video, the unit is awarded 15,000 hryvnias .

Total combat pay limit

The total limit of combat pay is 460,000 hryvnias per month . The limit is calculated as the sum of three categories: 100,000 hryvnias for direct participation in combat operations, 170,000 or 70,000 hryvnias of zonal pay, and 40,000 or 20,000 hryvnias for each assault day. If the sum of these categories exceeds 460,000 hryvnias, exactly 460,000 hryvnias is accrued.

Beyond this limit, basic cash support, a one-time cash allowance for signing the first contract, a bonus for taking prisoner, and a bonus for destroying enemy manpower are accrued separately.

We will remind you that the Cabinet of Ministers has published Resolution No. 768, which changes the system of additional payments for servicemen of the Defense Forces , police special forces, and foreigners serving in the Ukrainian army.

As you know, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine announced a comprehensive transformation of military service , which includes new contracts with clear deadlines, increased payments and guaranteed deferrals after completion of service. The changes also include automatic transfer between units and simplified return of servicemen who voluntarily left the service.

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