50 thousand hryvnias for captivity: how the state compensates civilians for their detention by Russia
21 October 2025 08:27
Ukrainians who have suffered from illegal detention by the Russian occupation forces will be able to receive one-time financial assistance from the state in the amount of 50 thousand hryvnias. This was announced by Deputy Minister of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine Oleksiy Ryabikin during an official briefing, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
The purpose of the payments is to support citizens who survived Russian captivity
“We must ensure a fair and systematic approach to supporting all citizens who have suffered from the deprivation of personal freedom as a result of Russian aggression,” the deputy minister emphasized.
According to him, the state seeks not only to provide financial assistance but also to guarantee a full range of protection, including medical, psychological and social support.
How the payment mechanism will work
People who have been released from Russian captivity after confirming the fact of their illegal detention will be able to receive assistance.
To do this, you need to
- Obtain a certificate from the Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
- Submit an application to the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development.
- After reviewing the application, the funds will be paid without additional decisions of the commissions to speed up the process.
The government is preparing an expanded assistance package
Representative of the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner Yuriy Kovbasa said that a resolution is being prepared that will provide
- medical care and rehabilitation
- social benefits
- reintegration programs;
- state support, regardless of the conditions under which a person was deprived of liberty.
How many people have already applied for help
Between February 13 and October 20, 2025, the Commission for Establishing the Fact of Deprivation of Personal Liberty received more than 3,700 applications.
During this time, it has made
- 3,271 decisions to confirm the fact of deprivation of liberty due to Russian aggression
- 8,109 annual payments;
- 3,361 one-time payments.
The total amount of support has already exceeded UAH 1 billion.
Who is eligible for payments
The Commission considers applications not only based on the documents submitted by the person. It also takes into account data and evidence confirming the fact of deprivation of liberty.
According to Law No. 2010-IX, assistance is provided for civilians who:
- deprived of their liberty because of their pro-Ukrainian position, professional, political or human rights activities;
- were held hostage to exert pressure on third parties;
- illegally imprisoned in the occupied territories.
The law clearly defines which categories of citizens are covered by its provisions.
Who can be denied
In cases where the decision to recognize the fact of deprivation of liberty is not made, the main reasons are that the person does not belong to the categories defined by law or the documents submitted by the person are incomplete or do not meet the requirements of the law.
What human rights activists say
Civil society organizations insist that all civilians affected by the actions of the occupiers should receive support, regardless of formalities.
“The state, in cooperation with civil society organizations, must find an effective mechanism to help. It is necessary to clearly define what is considered detention in the occupied territories, what is related to armed aggression, and what falls under the existing legal grounds. At the same time, all families of those detained in connection with the armed aggression against Ukraine should receive state support,” emphasized Tetyana Katrychenko, head of the Media Initiative for Human Rights.
Ukraine is taking another step towards systematic protection of its citizens affected by Russian aggression. The payment of 50 thousand hryvnias will be the first stage of a comprehensive support program that will include not only financial assistance, but also reintegration and restoration of the rights of people who have returned from captivity.
