The Verkhovna Rada has passed a law on social protection for military personnel: what it entails
25 February 14:21
On February 25, the Verkhovna Rada adopted Law No. 13646, which regulates the labor, pension, and social rights of military personnel of all categories. The document establishes the procedure for preserving jobs, paying cash compensation for leave, and providing material assistance to family members.
This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the website of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
The explanatory note states that the implementation of the act will ensure that the social needs of military personnel and their family members are met, increase public confidence in the state’s activities to ensure the social protection of defense personnel, and have a positive impact on the interests of citizens and state authorities.
“It (the law — ed.) creates a clear and fair system of social guarantees for military personnel in basic service — before, during, and after their service. It is about justice for people who have defended the country and about the state’s responsibility to them and their families,” commented Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on the adoption of the law.
Key provisions
The law introduces a unified and transparent approach to payments and regulates the provision of a number of social guarantees.
Labor and pension rights
Military personnel are guaranteed to retain their previous place of work and position for the entire period of service. The entire time spent in the Armed Forces or other military formations is counted towards total work experience, insurance experience, and length of service, which affects the size of future pensions and the provision of benefits.
Cash payments and compensation
The law provides for the payment of monetary compensation for all days of unused annual and additional leave. For persons who have been wounded or were held captive (interned), the following guarantees are established:
- maintenance of monthly payments for the period of treatment;
- provision of one-time financial assistance;
- compensation for the costs of long-term inpatient care.
Financial support for families
Relatives of military personnel receive special status in the field of employment and social security:
- preferential right to employment;
- financial assistance when changing place of residence (moving);
- payment of sick leave (hospitalization);
- one-time assistance in the event of death or injury of a military personnel.
Procedure for calculating assistance
The law clearly regulates the amount of one-time cash payments. In particular, in the event of the death of a military serviceman or civil protection service employee, the maximum amount of assistance is set at UAH 15 million. The procedure for calculating funds in the event of disability or loss of working capacity due to injury is also defined.
“We propose a clear rule: the total amount of assistance is UAH 15 million. That is, if a soldier is declared missing in action, his family will receive payments of about UAH 120,000 per month, and if his death is confirmed, his relatives will receive a payment in such an amount that the total amount of assistance will be UAH 15 million. This creates equality, transparency, and clear guarantees for each family, regardless of the date or circumstances of confirmation of status,” Fedorov said.
As a reminder, in 2026, Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen will be eligible for financial assistance to address social and domestic issues. The payment will be made once a year, equal to one month’s salary, and assistance can be obtained on a number of legally defined grounds.
