Under the law with retroactive effect: how Ukraine will pay pension contributions for those who were in captivity
6 January 19:05
Starting from January 1, 2026, the state assumes the obligation to pay a single contribution to the obligatory state social insurance (SSC) for civilians who were deprived of their personal freedom as a result of armed aggression against Ukraine. In fact, this applies to those who returned from captivity in Russia.
The provisions of the Law of Ukraine No. 4280-IX dated February 27, 2025 apply to citizens whose information is included in the Unified Register of Persons in respect of whom the fact of deprivation of personal liberty has been established. The Pension Fund of Ukraine has been designated as the payer of the unified social contribution for such persons, i.e., the financing will be provided by the state budget. The unified social contribution will be paid in the amount not less than the minimum insurance premium, which will allow the periods of captivity to be included in the insurance record, which is important for the subsequent appointment and calculation of pensions.
The state will pay the unified social contribution:
- for the entire period of a person’s captivity;
- for six months after his or her release.
Importantly, the law is retroactive: social insurance will also cover periods of captivity that occurred before the law came into force. That is, until 2026.
There are not many civilian prisoners of war
According to Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, Russia holds more than 16,000 Ukrainian civilians in captivity. The problem is that international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions do not provide for the exchange of civilian prisoners for prisoners of war. But, in general, after the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine managed to return civilians from captivity:
- 2022 – 35 exchanges, 1596 people;
- 2023 – 13 exchanges, 1002 people;
- 2024 – 11 exchanges, 1352 people.
As of November 2025, a total of 6,235 prisoners were released, including 323 men and 49 women civilians.
June 2025 (exchange): 120 civilians returned.
July 2025: 294 civilian hostages returned as part of 5757 Ukrainians released in total.
August 2025 (exchange): 51 Ukrainian citizens returned, some of whom had been detained since 2014.
October 2025 (exchange): 20 civilians returned.
A drop in the bucket
If we take into account that about 5,000 people have returned from captivity during this time, the burden on the budget will be approximately UAH 0.43 billion. It all depends on how long each person spent in captivity. Minimum unified social contribution (contribution) per month: uAH 4,742 (based on the minimum wage of UAH 8,000 × the unified social contribution rate of 22%).
“If we take into account the average period of captivity – 12 months, plus the guaranteed six months after release, then for one person for about 1.5 years it will be necessary to pay: 56 904 28 452 = 85 356 UAH. The total amount for 5,000 people will be 426,780,000 UAH. The main advantage is direct social support for the most vulnerable citizens, restoration of their pension rights and seniority. A guarantee from the state that “time in captivity is not erased from life.” In addition, the financial burden on the budget is minimal,” Vladislava Korzh, an economic analyst at [Komersant], calculated for [Komersant ].
“Half a billion hryvnias is an acceptable price to pay to restore justice for 5,000 survivors of captivity. The only question is from which pocket the budget will pay for it.
Author: Alla Dunina
