Ukraine boosts combat pay, bonuses for front-line troops

June 17, 2026

1–2 minutes

Summary

Ukraine said troops on combat missions could earn up to 460,000 hryvnias a month under a new pay and bonus system.

Why this matters

The changes show how Ukraine is using pay, contracts, and return-to-service policies to address recruitment and retention during the war. They also illustrate the scale of financial incentives being directed toward front-line combat roles.

Ukraine said it was introducing a new bonus system for troops serving on combat missions, part of a broader pay and contract overhaul announced June 12 after years of recruitment struggles and reports of absence without leave.

The Defense Ministry said Tuesday that the new system would apply to combat tasks from the start of June, with payouts due in July.

Under the system, front-line soldiers receive base monthly pay of 20,000 hryvnias, about $446, and can earn as much as 460,000 hryvnias, or about $10,270, a month. Before the war, Ukraine’s average monthly salary was 14,577 hryvnias, according to government statistics from January 2022.

Soldiers receive an additional 10,000 hryvnias for each day at a Ukrainian-held position. Daily pay rises to 20,000 hryvnias for missions including reconnaissance, evacuation, or retaking territory. The highest daily bonus is 40,000 hryvnias for assault operations that result in a Ukrainian advance. Soldiers can receive only one daily bonus, whichever is highest.

The system also includes 100,000 hryvnias for capturing a Russian soldier, divided among those directly involved, and 15,000 hryvnias for destroying an enemy asset or killing a Russian soldier.

Commanders and their teams can receive an additional 30,000 hryvnias a month for combat tasks and 50,000 hryvnias for running operations from command posts, depending on time spent on missions. Total monthly payments are capped at 460,000 hryvnias, the ministry said.

Troops temporarily stationed in rear areas will receive at least 30,000 hryvnias a month. Drone pilots and specialists will be paid on a separate scale based on distance from the front, up to 120,000 hryvnias, with bonuses of up to 100,000 hryvnias for combat participation or command roles.

The ministry said it was also creating a system for troops who went absent without leave to return to service in top-rated units and immediately receive equipment, meals, and clothing. The ministry said the change aimed to address cases in which troops used absence without leave to bypass transfer procedures.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has been overhauling its systems since January under Mykhailo Fedorov, who previously served as minister for digital transformation.

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