Ukraine’s military ups pay in 2017

Average wages of soldiers serving on the front line in the Donbas war zone have more than doubled since the beginning of the year, a Ministry of Defense official said on Sept. 12.

A private soldier’s average monthly pay is now roughly Hr 10,000-12,000 ($380-460), while mid-ranking officers get some Hr 18,000 ($700) per month.

“Over this year, wages in the military were increased three times: on Jan. 1, on April 1, and on Aug. 1,” the deputy director of the finance department of the Ministry of Defense, Colonel Serhiy Galimsky, said during a briefing in Kyiv on Sept. 12.

”Now, after the three pay rises, all servicemen deployed at front line platoon defensive positions will find their monthly combat bonuses increased by 2.4 times – from Hr 4,200 ($161) to Hr 10,000 ($384), in addition to their usual basic payments.”

According to Galimsky, the country’s current military budget has increased by over 22 percent compared to 2016. In particular, the army’s technical support spending has been boosted by 49 percent, to Hr 33.8 billion ($1.29 billion).

The remaining funds, Hr 35.2 billion ($1.3 billion), were allocated to increasing soldiers’ pay, which was earlier declared to be among the ministry’s main goals for 2017.

While bonuses have primarily been increased for soldiers serving in the war zone, as well as for Special Operations Forces, marines, and airborne units, soldiers serving behind the lines will get an additional bonus of Hr 4,500 ($173) per month, up from Hr 1,200 ($46).

In addition, all private soldiers, sergeants and officers are entitled to a Hr 1,000 ($38.50) bonus for each day they are engaged in repelling direct ground assaults by the enemy. Since Feb. 2015, the army has paid Hr 153 million ($5.8 million) in such bonuses to its servicemen, Galimsky said.

In 2017, Hr 1.6 million ($60,000) were also paid as bounty to Ukrainian servicemen for destroying or capturing enemy vehicles in combat. Such bounties range between Hr 12,000 ($461) and Hr 244,000 ($9,400).

More than Hr 8.3 million ($320,000) was also allocated to servicemen as rewards for carrying out successful combat missions, Galimsky said.

Pay for elite forces was also increased: A soldier serving in a support unit of the Special Operations Forces will now earn additional Hr 1,886 ($72) per month, while soldiers serving in the marines or airborne units will see their monthly pay rise by Hr 1,000 ($38).

One-off indemnities for the relatives of soldiers killed in action have also been increased. Since May, the families of fallen army servicemen have received Hr 1.2 million ($46,000) Earlier, the payment was Hr 800,000 ($30,000).

In addition, disabled war veterans are now paid more compensation, Galimsky said. Payments range between Hr 640,000 ($24,600) and Hr 400,000 ($15,300) depending on the degree of disability.

In 2018, payments in Ukraine’s army will be increased again, Galimsky said.

Ukraine’s military spending so far in 2017 has reached a record high of Hr 69 billion ($2.6 billion), he said.