Pryncyp

Foreign nationals serving in the Ukrainian army receive the same monetary remuneration as Ukrainian citizens serving under contract. The amount of remuneration does not depend on citizenship; it depends only on position, rank, and service conditions.

All payments are made in Ukrainian hryvnias (UAH). To this end, before signing the contract (or at the beginning of your service if that was not possible), you must open a Ukrainian bank account – this is where all payments will be deposited. Representatives of your military unit can assist you with opening the account.

Ukrainian service members often refer to their pay using the abbreviation HZ (from the Ukrainian term hroshove zabezpechennia, meaning monetary remuneration), so you may often see the abbreviation HZ (ГЗ). 

All payments are made from the state budget of Ukraine. There are no payments from NATO, the UN, or similar organizations within the Ukrainian military. Payments are made by the State of Ukraine, not by your immediate commander. Your commander does not influence the timeliness of payments in cases where circumstances are beyond their control.

The military remuneration system in Ukraine is structured so that the base salary is relatively modest, but a number of allowances (bonuses) are added depending on where and how a service member performs their duties. Therefore, the actual income can vary significantly from person to person.

In general, all payments can be divided into three groups:

This payment is usually referred to as "combat pay" or "sotka" (meaning "a hundred" in Ukrainian). It is the most well-known and the largest bonus. It is paid to those who directly participate in combat operations and physically remain in the combat area, that is, on the contact line. If a service member spent only part of the month on the front line, the amount is calculated proportionally. In practice, this amounts to approximately UAH 3,333 per day on the front line. A full month equals UAH 100,000.

This remuneration differs slightly from others in how it is calculated. It is paid for every 30 accumulated days of directly performing combat missions on the contact line – on the front line, in temporarily occupied territory, or on enemy territory.

The key word here is accumulated: Days are added up across different months. For example, if a service member spends 10 days on the front line in the first month, 12 days in the second month, and 8 days in the third month, he will accumulate 30 days after the third month and receive UAH 70,000 as a single payment. After that, the counting starts again and the days accumulate again.

It is important that the UAH 70,000 payment will be credited in the month following the accumulation

of those 30 days. For example, if you performed missions for 28 days in February and then 2 more days in March, you will receive this bonus in April.

This payment is in addition to all monthly bonuses and does not replace them.

This payment is provided to those who perform combat or special tasks as part of a headquarters, command staff, or military management body.

It is also calculated in proportion to the time spent performing such tasks.

This payment is made monthly for performing specific combat or special tasks, for example, mine clearance. It is calculated in proportion to the time spent performing such tasks during the month.

Approximately during a single month of service you may receive the following maximum total payment:

〜 UAH 20,000 – base salary 

〜 UAH 100,000 – additional bonus for a full calendar month of combat duties

〜 UAH 70,000 – if 30 days of combat duties have been accumulated during that month

〜 UAH 190,000

Such an amount is usually possible after 3 to 4 months of service, including after basic training, since these bonuses are tied to combat duties.

If you did not perform any combat or special tasks during the month, your salary will be approximately UAH 20,000.

Monetary compensation is accrued and paid monthly.

Typically, the base salary is paid in the first half of the month (around the 5th-15th day of the month), and combat payments, bonuses, and other additional payments are deposited in the second half of the month (around the 20th-25th day of the month). 

If payments are delayed, you should check with your immediate commander or your unit's finance office. They can clarify the payment status and the reason for the delay.

In addition to base salary and possible additional bonuses, Ukrainian service members are entitled to several types of social support payments related to major life events. 

All service members are entitled to this benefit without any additional conditions. It is paid once per year in the amount of one month’s monetary remuneration (approximately UAH 20,000). In most units, this is organized centrally: Service members submit reports (applications addressed to the commander) together and gradually receive the funds throughout the year. 

This allowance is paid once per year in the amount of one month’s monetary compensation (approximately UAH 20,000). However, it is not granted to everyone – it is provided only if certain grounds exist:

To receive financial assistance or health improvement assistance, you must submit a report (formal request). If necessary, you must also attach documents confirming the grounds for the payment (for example, a child’s birth certificate to receive financial assistance).

You may prepare a personal directive in case you go missing in action or are taken captive. In this document, you specify how your monetary remuneration should be distributed under such circumstances.

You must indicate the persons who should receive the payments and the exact amounts. For assistance with executing the directive, contact your command.

After the military unit commander certifies this directive, it will be kept in your personal file.

If you wish to change the recipients or the size of their shares, simply prepare a new directive for certification by the unit commander.