Over 71,000 service members have already obtained combatant status under the new simplified system

Since the launch of the new automated system in January 2025, over 71,000 service members have been granted combatant status. 

The key innovation is the option to obtain combatant status through the Unified State Register of War Veterans. Authorized personnel of military units are required to enter information into the Register within five days from the start of a combat mission.

In this process, documents submitted to the Register of War Veterans are reviewed automatically in real time.

The new system supplements the existing pathway for obtaining combatant status via the Commission for the Review of Combatant Status Applications.

Documents to be considered by the Commission may be submitted by the command of the military unit or by the service member personally.

To apply individually, the service member must submit a completed application in the established form, two matte photographs sized 3×4 cm, and documentation verifying participation in combat operations.

The application should be mailed to the Commission of the military command authority to which the service member’s unit was subordinated at the time of their current or previous participation in combat operations. 

More detailed information on the procedure for obtaining combatant status, as well as contact details for the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine’s Commissions, is available at social.mil.gov.ua.