Ukraine's Pension Fund has set a guaranteed minimum monthly pension of 6,197 hryvnias, Ukraine's national currency, for combat veterans, known in Ukraine as UBD, in 2026. The floor was raised on March 1 under Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 656, and no veteran with the status can legally be paid less.
The status also lets veterans retire earlier than Ukraine's standard pension age of 60. Women who hold UBD status can retire at 50 and men at 55.
UBD status is granted under Ukrainian law to people who took part in combat operations, including active service members and personnel of Ukraine's territorial defence forces. It carries a range of state privileges beyond guaranteed pension payments, including additional social benefits. The Pension Fund of Ukraine is the state body responsible for administering and paying out these pensions.
Service length still required
Early retirement does not mean an automatic payout. Male veterans need at least 25 years of work record to qualify for a pension, while female veterans need at least 20 years.
Time served directly in a combat zone can be counted three times over toward that record. But the Volyn Territorial Center for Recruitment and Social Support has warned that the tripled count applies only to length-of-service pensions. For the standard age-based pension, combat service periods are calculated under the ordinary rules, without the multiplier.
Higher minimum for disabled veterans
Veterans with a recognised disability receive even higher guaranteed minimums. The floor is set at 18,885 hryvnias for group 1 disability, 15,494 hryvnias for group 2, and 10,625 hryvnias for group 3.
The overall size of an individual pension still depends on a veteran's length of service and the salary they earned during their military service, on which tax was paid. Citing the public broadcaster Suspilne, the Pension Fund said average payments to combat veterans run to about 13,940 hryvnias a month, with most veterans receiving more than 10,000 hryvnias.
Monthly supplement for UBD status
Beyond the base pension, the Pension Fund pays veterans with UBD status a monthly supplement equal to 25% of the subsistence minimum for people unable to work, which in 2026 is about 649 hryvnias, the Pension Fund said.
