Draft bill #12463 of February 3, 2025 

Cosponsors: 7 MPs from the Servant of the People faction, the For the Future group, and independents with Anatolii Ostapenko as the first signatory 

Status: sent for review to the Committee on Social Policy and Veterans’ Rights Protection 

Who is affected: families of fallen (deceased) war veterans and families of fallen (deceased) defenders of Ukraine 

Summary: 

  • a one-time payment of 15 million UAH will be paid in case of a service member’s death 
  • all payments made between April 14, 2014, and the day the new law comes into effect will be recalculated 
  • when receiving the 15 million UAH, the family will sign a document transferring the state the right to claim compensation from the Russian Federation for the death of a family member due to the Russian aggression (including combat operations, terrorist acts, and sabotage) 
  • families receiving the payment will be granted the following benefits: 
    • priority medical service and hospitalization 
    • the option to take annual leave at a convenient time 
    • preference in job retention during layoffs 
    • free meals for children in public and communal educational establishments 
  • the Cabinet will have to define the procedure for granting and paying the assistance, as well as for formalizing the transfer of the right to demand compensation from the Russian Federation. 

What is right: 

  • the recalculation of previous payments will ensure equality for all families regardless of when they lost their defender 
  • the mechanism for transferring the right to claim compensation from Russia will allow the state to sue the Russian Federation more effectively. 

What is wrong: the implementation of the law will be a significant burden for the government budget, especially during wartime, leading to difficulties in ensuring the recalculation of previous payments considering limited resources. Without a clear understanding of the sources of funding for these payments, the state will undertake obligations that it cannot fulfill. 

Alternative solution: to create a special fund for the recalculation of payments with specific sources of income. To develop a clear schedule for recalculations broken down by time periods so that families of fallen defenders of Ukraine can understand when they will receive the payments. 

How to help the legislator: proposals concerning the draft bill can be sent to the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada on Social Policy and Veterans’ Rights Protection.