The Ukrainian government has decided to extend the “Contract 18-24” initiative to all military personnel who voluntarily entered military service under the age of 25 after February 24, 2022. They are entitled to receive a reward of UAH 1 million.
Points of attention
- Commanders of military units are responsible for processing payments, requiring documentation to confirm participation in hostilities.
- Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Serhiy Melnyk, emphasizes the importance of documentation such as combat orders and reports to verify participation in hostilities for reward eligibility.
What is important to know about the government's decision
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine draws attention to the fact that the right to receive the reward is given to private, sergeant and foreman servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who meet the following criteria:
were accepted or called up for military service during martial law at the age of 25;
took direct part in hostilities in combat areas for a total of at least 6 months (as of February 13, 2025);
continued to serve in the military at the time the government resolution came into force (February 13, 2025);
have not been held criminally or administratively liable for military offenses two or more times and have no current disciplinary sanctions.
In addition, it is noted that the full amount of the payment is also provided for those fighters who participated in hostilities for less than 6 months, but were injured or captured (except in cases of voluntary surrender) during the defense of Ukraine.
The Ministry of Defense emphasizes that the reward is paid once for the entire period of service and transferred to the serviceman's card account, but there is also an exception here:
The processing of payments is entrusted to the commanders of military units, who must collect the entire package of documents, including by sending requests to other units where the serviceman served previously.
Serhiy Melnyk
Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Brigadier General of Justice
According to Serhiy Melnyk, the fact of participation in hostilities is confirmed on the basis of documents, in particular, a combat order (order), a combat log, an operational situation, a combat report, or a report from the unit commander.
