Ukraine inherited its social protection system from the former Soviet Union which had a strong focus on pensions for the elderly and people with disability as well as nationals deserving of support due to past state service (OECD, 2011[15]). In 2023, public spending on pensions amounted to 11.6% of GDP, while public and private expenditure on health amounted to 8% of GDP in 2021 (OECD, 2025[8]). However, social expenditure has declined in real terms since 2022, in view of other public policy priorities. Defence spending now amounts to 25% of GDP and the budget deficit has grown to an estimated 20% of GDP in 2026, notwithstanding important external support through grants and loans (OECD, 2025[8]).
Public support for veterans is embedded in legislation “On the Status of War Veterans and Guarantees of Their Social Protection", which establishes the benefits combatants, veterans and their family members are entitled to (Government of Ukraine, 2025[16]). The benefits can be grouped into medical, utility, land and housing, transportation, educational and family benefits (Box 2 provides a concise summary view of the Canadian system of veteran support). The benefits include, for example, free medicine and medical devices prescribed by doctors and priority access to medical services; discounts on rent and utilities; allocation of land plots for individual housing construction, gardening and horticulture; preferential terms on loans for housing; free urban passenger travel; and full or partial payment of tuition fees. In the event of disability and (partial) loss of the capacity to work upon discharge from military service, veterans are entitled to a one-off financial benefit. Payment rates vary with the degree of disability and in 2025, the maximum payment amounted to 400 times the subsistence minimum – Ukrainian hryvnia (UAH) 1 211 200, about USD 28 000 (Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, 2025[17]). Overall, budget constraints impinge on benefit delivery.
Support for veterans involve a range of different government departments. The Ministry of Defence is responsible for the discharge out of military service, which includes the provision of information and legal support, registration of veteran status, and access to benefits through Territorial Centers for Recruitment (TCCs). The Ministry of Health supports medical recovery and psychological stabilisation through guaranteed medical services, psychological support, and rehabilitation. The provision of prosthetics, housing and social assistance is the responsibility of the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity, while professional development and (re-)training is in the remit of the Ministry of Education and Science. The Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture is responsible for the delivery of employment services through the State Employment Service which also provides entrepreneurship support. Local governments and central government agencies implement a range of state programmes and veteran benefits (e.g. housing, subsidies, healthcare, etc., but non-government organisations (NGOs) often funded by outside donors, play a key role in both the delivery of support and in veterans’ policy development.
The Ministry of Veterans Affairs is mandated to co-ordinate Ukraine’s veteran support system with its many different players as laid down in its “Veteran Policy Strategy for 2023” which aims to foster human capital and well-being of veterans and their families. In 2026, the budget targeted at support for veterans (i.e. over and above public services such as general health services that are used by veterans) UAH 18.9 billion (about USD 436 million) for veteran support (Government of Ukraine, 2025[18]); about 6% of the overall state budget (Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, 2026[19]). This includes UAH 5.6 bn for housing of veterans with disabilities, as well as the provision of a range of services and other supports such as programmes of the Ukrainian Veterans Fund of the Ministry of Veteran Affairs, veteran development centres at universities for professional development and retraining, training of specialist support staff – often veterans themselves, dental prosthetics, education for children of veterans, etc. These initiatives are important and often creative, but overall, they are too small to address the dire need for support.