Military salaries from 1 May 2026: which payments will continue
This is evidenced by the Law “On the Social and Legal Protection of Servicemen and Members of Their Families”, Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 168, and official clarifications from the Ministry of Defence.
A serviceman’s pay, as before, consists of several main components. Monthly basic payments include a post-specific salary, a salary based on military rank, and a length-of-service allowance. The Ministry of Defence specifically explains that these components form the basis, and their amount depends on the post, rank and length of service.
Separately, during martial law, a system of additional allowances is in place, the procedure for which is determined by the Cabinet of Ministers. The law explicitly stipulates that such allowances are paid on the terms, in the amounts and in the manner approved by the government.
The largest additional payment – 100,000 UAH per month, calculated in proportion to the time spent in service – is provided for military personnel who are directly involved in combat operations or are providing defence in combat zones, in temporarily occupied territories, between the positions of the defence forces and Russian troops, or on the territory of the aggressor state. According to official clarifications, this amount may also be received by military personnel undergoing inpatient treatment following injury and those held captive.
An additional allowance of 50,000 UAH per month is provided for those carrying out combat or special tasks as part of military command structures, headquarters and command units responsible for operational or combat control of subunits. This payment is also calculated in proportion to the time spent performing such tasks.
Another current allowance – 30,000 UAH per month, calculated in proportion to the time spent performing the task – is established for military personnel carrying out combat or special tasks in accordance with combat orders during operations to ensure Ukraine’s defence.
In addition, a separate allowance of 70,000 UAH is payable for every 30 days of cumulative performance of combat or special tasks on the front line or behind enemy lines. The Ministry of Defence’s handbook explicitly states that this remuneration is in addition to other ‘combat’ allowances and operates on a cumulative basis.
The Ministry of Defence also notes that the amount of payments does not depend on whether the serviceman is mobilised or serving under contract. The key factors remain rank, position, length of service and the specific conditions under which tasks are carried out.
Regarding payment dates, official clarifications from ArmyInform state that financial support is accrued from the date of mobilisation or the start of service, and is paid monthly in a single instalment. It is also emphasised that the payment system for military personnel does not distinguish between an advance and the main portion.
In addition to monthly pay, military personnel are also entitled to certain one-off payments. The Ministry of Defence’s official website lists these as including, in particular, health benefits, other types of assistance, as well as special bonuses provided for specific cases.
Thus, as of 1 May 2026, no new officially approved changes to the military pay system have been announced. For military personnel, the current rules on financial support and the additional rewards already established by the state remain in force.
As reported by ThePublic, the issue of increasing financial support for military personnel in 2026 has once again stalled in parliament. MP Iryna Friz stated that the Rada is not pushing through the relevant legislative changes, and one of the main reasons is the current link between pay rises for military personnel and the automatic increase in pensions for military pensioners.
Follow us on Telegram
