The Ministry of Defence explains: What service remuneration do military personnel in the Armed Forces of Ukraine receive

Citizens of Ukraine who enlist in the Armed Forces of Ukraine receive service remuneration from the first day of their service. Experts from the Ministry of Defense's Department of Social Security prepared an overview outlining service remuneration components. 

Service remuneration refers to the total of state-guaranteed payments provided to service members for carrying out their military duties. 

These payments include:

1.  Base payments: Base salary, rank pay, long service increment
2. Additional payments: Increase in base salary, various allowances, permanent additional rewards and remuneration, as well as a bonus.
3. One-time payments: Rewards and assistance granted under certain conditions.

Ensuring a proper standard of living for military personnel and their families, reinforcing service motivation, and compensating for the specific challenges and risks of military service are the key objectives of service remuneration.

The regulatory framework for service remuneration is defined by the Law of Ukraine ‘On Social and Legal Protection of Military Personnel and Members of Their Families,’ along with additional legislative acts considering military service's complexity, intensity, and risks.

Monthly basic types of service remuneration for service members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine include fixed components paid to each service member based on their rank, position, and length of service. These types of remuneration include:

1. Base salary is the primary component of service remuneration, which depends on the military's position. Higher positions receive higher base salaries, determining the basic level of service remuneration.

2. Rank pay is a component of a service member's service remuneration, paid based on their assigned military rank (e.g., private, sergeant, lieutenant), irrespective of the position held.

3. Long service increment is a payment received by a service member based on their length of service in the Armed Forces or other Defence and Security Forces. This increment is calculated as a percentage of the base salary and rank pay, increasing with years of service—from 5% after one year to 50% for 25 years or more.

The monthly additional forms of service remuneration for service members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine include:

1. Increase in base salary is a core salary increment for military personnel serving in settlements designated as mountainous areas and on Zmiinyi Island (Snake Island). For instance, the base salary is raised by 25% in government-designated mountainous areas. If the base salary is UAH 2,550, the increase will amount to UAH 638.

2. Allowances are payments granted for specific aspects of service, such as service in the Special Operations Forces, qualifications, qualification categories, state expert functions related to secrets, service under restrictive conditions, continuous service in encryption roles, honorary and sports titles, and for service members who are donors. For example, a service-related allowance is paid at 65% of the base salary, rank pay, and long service increment. For example, if the base salary is UAH 2,550, the rank pay is UAH 530, and the long service increment is UAH 770, the service-related allowance will amount to UAH 2,503 per month.

3. Supplements are payments for an academic degree, such as a PhD or doctorate, and for an academic title, such as associate professor or professor. Service members holding designated positions may receive an additional 5% to 10% of their base salary, depending on their achievements in scientific and professional activities.

4. Remuneration for service members holding positions directly involved in cybersecurity and cyber defense tasks is a special financial incentive for those responsible for critical national security cyber defense functions. Service members engaged in cyber defense are entitled to remuneration of up to 100% of their base salary, rank pay, and long service increment, based on the level of tasks performed.

5. Remuneration for specific service (training) conditions during martial law (special period) amounts to a monthly payment of UAH 2,350 for cadets of higher military educational institutions who were not previously enlisted in the military.

6. Bonus is a monthly payment to military personnel, awarded based on their individual contribution to the overall outcomes of the service. The average bonus ranges from UAH 15,000 to 30,000.

One-time supplementary forms of service remuneration for service members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine include:

Rewards are one-time payments for performing special tasks under military service and are intended for service members who carry out service or combat missions in high-risk environments. Rewards cover duties requiring specialized skills or performed in high-risk conditions (such as maritime operations, parachuting, mine clearance, minesweeping, diving operations, combat duty), as well as tasks performed during special periods, including martial law.

During the period of martial law, additional remuneration shall be paid to service members in accordance with the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 168, dated February 28, 2022, in the following amounts:

• UAH 100,000: for those directly involved in combat operations or activities necessary for ensuring the defense of Ukraine, safeguarding public security, and protecting the state interests due to the military aggression of the russian federation against Ukraine.

• UAH 50,000: for service members performing combat missions or special tasks as part of a military command body, headquarters of a task force, or a tactical group’s headquarters, up to and including the command post of an operational and strategic military grouping, as well as within the command and staff of a military unit (consolidated unit), including those outside active combat zones.
• UAH 30,000: for service members performing combat missions or special tasks as per combat orders (directives).

For military personnel entitled to additional remuneration under multiple conditions, this additional remuneration is paid in a higher amount, calculated monthly, proportional to the time spent performing combat missions or special tasks.

Additionally, a one-time remuneration of UAH 70,000 is paid for every 30 days (cumulatively calculated) of performing combat missions or special tasks.

Financial assistances comprise a set of one-time and regular payments offered to military personnel to improve their social and financial well-being, facilitate their adaptations to service, sustain their health, and address personal and household concerns. They include financial assistances for signing a first contract, for health improvement, for addressing social and household needs, and in case of discharge from military service.

In 2024, the minimum amount of service remuneration is UAH 20,100. The amount of military personnel's service remuneration also depends on the military branch they serve. Specifically, the amount of service remuneration varies among the Ground Forces, Air Assault Forces, and Special Operations Forces. 

The service remuneration can be calculated using a calculator for the main types of payments to service members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

For more information regarding service remuneration and its structure, visit the website of the Department of Social Security of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine: https://social.mil.gov.ua/