01.07.2026
The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has explained the key changes introduced by the Defence Forces reform under Resolution No. 768 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 12 June 2026. The resolution establishes an updated system of military contracts, fixed terms of service and a new approach to additional motivational payments for service members.
The reform applies both to current service members and to citizens who plan to join the Defence Forces of Ukraine. One of the main changes is the transition from contracts whose duration during martial law was effectively linked to the end of the special period or a demobilisation decision, to contracts with clearly defined terms. After the contract expires, a service member receives a guaranteed right to discharge, without being tied to the duration of martial law.
For current service members serving in combat units, the contract term is 10 months. Citizens and reservists who join combat positions for the first time may sign a 14-month contract, with at least 12 months to be served directly in combat positions. Veterans returning to service after discharge during the special period may sign a contract for a term starting from 6 months. For non-combat positions and units, the contract term is 24 months.
The list of combat positions and combat units covered by the shortened contract terms is approved by a separate order of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
The reform also provides guarantees after discharge. Service members who sign a motivational contract receive a guaranteed deferment from conscription after completing their service. The basic deferment period is 6 months, while the total duration depends on participation in combat operations and the overall length of service. Service members who did not sign a motivational contract and are discharged under a decree of the President of Ukraine are not subject to conscription for three years from the date of discharge.
Resolution No. 768 does not change the basic military remuneration or the procedure for its calculation. Military remuneration continues to include the position salary, rank salary, seniority allowance, service-specific allowance and monthly bonus. At the same time, the document introduces a new system of additional motivational payments, which are paid on top of the existing remuneration and depend on the area of deployment and the nature of assigned tasks.
A new rear-area additional payment of UAH 10,000 per month is introduced for service members, regardless of the type of service or whether a new contract has been signed. Together with basic remuneration, the minimum rear-area payment will start from UAH 30,000 per month.
For service members performing tasks in combat areas, a differentiated payment scale is introduced. Direct participation in combat operations on the line of contact provides for UAH 100,000 per month, calculated proportionally to the time of participation. Deployment and task performance up to and including a platoon strongpoint provides for UAH 170,000 per month proportionally to the time served, while deployment and task performance up to and including a company strongpoint provides for UAH 70,000 per month proportionally to the time served.
Separate daily payments are also provided for active combat operations: UAH 20,000 per day for restoring positions in the depth of own defence and UAH 40,000 per day for assault operations on the line of contact or in the depth of the enemy’s defence.
The total amount of monthly combat payments for tasks on the line of contact, deployment in designated zones and participation in assault operations is capped at UAH 460,000 per month. Basic military remuneration, one-time assistance for signing a contract and separate personal bonuses for effective combat actions are added to this amount separately.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the new payments apply to all service members regardless of the type of service, unit or whether they have signed a new motivational contract. Both mobilised service members and those already serving under contract are eligible for these payments.
The procedure and detailed rules for calculating the new payments will be defined by a separate order of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. The first payments for June 2026 are expected to be made by 20 July 2026.
Detailed terms of the new basic contracts are available on army.gov.ua. The Ministry of Defence hotline for questions regarding the new contracts is 1519.
Source: Kharkiv Regional Territorial Centre for Recruitment and Social Support.
