In January–March 2026, Ukraine adopted a number of decisions directly concerning service members and war veterans. This section analyzes policies on countering discrimination in military units, supporting veterans’ employment and entrepreneurial activity, and financial provision for persons discharged from military service.

The key decisions concern the introduction of mandatory mechanisms for responding to cases of sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination both in the military and in state authorities, the approval of the state target program Veteran. Work for 2026–2027 with funding of 276.5 million UAH, the regulation of the status of veteran entrepreneurship entities, and the establishment of guaranteed payments for persons discharged from compulsory military service.

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Preventing and countering discrimination and sexual harassment in the military

Law #4797-IX of February 25, 2026

Who is affected: service members.

Summary:

  • service members are obliged to report cases of discrimination, sexual harassment, and gender-based violence, including to a gender adviser or a representative of the responsible unit;
  • an internal investigation in such cases is mandatory, and a gender adviser must be included in the investigation team;
  • the affected person may be seconded to another unit for the duration of the investigation to ensure their safety;
  • a person who reports a violation is protected from retaliation and may not be dismissed or subjected to disciplinary liability in connection with such a report;
  • committing discrimination or sexual violence is defined as grounds for disciplinary proceedings and dismissal from service.

What happened:

The law is aimed at ensuring compliance with military discipline and improving mechanisms for preventing and countering sex-based discrimination, sexual harassment, gender-based violence, as well as offences against sexual freedom and sexual inviolability.

 

Response to cases of sex-based discrimination

Cabinet Resolution #226 of February 18, 2026

Who is affected: all employees of public authorities, the Armed Forces, military formations, law enforcement agencies, civil protection forces, the industrial military complex, local self-government bodies, and enterprises under their management.

Summary:

  • permanent commissions are established in each body to consider complaints concerning discrimination, violence, and sexual harassment on the grounds of sex;
  • the principle of shifting the burden of proof is introduced: it is not the affected person who must prove the violation; rather, the person against whom the complaint has been filed must refute the information set out in it;
  • complaints may be submitted in any form: orally, including via a hotline; in writing; or electronically through a trust mailbox. Anonymous complaints are not subject to consideration;
  • clear review deadlines are established:
    • initial contact with the applicant — within 3 working days;
    • collection of information — up to 10 working days;
    • overall consideration period — up to 1 month, or up to 45 days in complex cases;
  • the affected person has the right to temporarily switch to remote work for up to 2 months while the complaint is being considered;
  • if the complaint contains indications of an administrative or criminal offence, it must be referred to the National Police or another pre-trial investigation body no later than within 1 working day;
  • full confidentiality is guaranteed: information about the applicant and the circumstances of the case may not be disclosed and must be stored separately from personnel files;
  • managers are obliged to implement equality policies: conduct gender audits, provide training for employees, create electronic trust mailboxes, and provide advisory assistance;
  • collective agreements must include mutual obligations to prevent discrimination and restore violated rights;
  • all employees are obliged to observe standards of mutual respect, refrain from discrimination, and immediately report any cases of violations known to them.

What happened:

The resolution established a unified mechanism for submitting and considering complaints, defined the composition and powers of commissions, the rights of affected and accused persons, as well as the obligations of managers regarding prevention and response. Coordination of training for commission members is assigned to the National Social Service, which also receives annual consolidated reporting on the results of complaint consideration.

 

Procedure for acquiring, depriving, terminating, and restoring the status of a veteran entrepreneurship entity

Cabinet Resolution #199 of February 11, 2026

Who is affected: war veterans who are private entrepreneurs and persons engaged in independent professional activity; the Ministry of Veterans Affairs.

Summary:

  • the resolution established a unified procedure for acquiring, depriving, terminating, and restoring the status of a veteran entrepreneurship entity through the Ministry of Veterans Affairs;
  • obtaining the status is free of charge. The application is submitted electronically through the Register or to the email address of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, and in exceptional cases by post;
  • clear consideration deadlines are established: the application is considered within 10 working days; if deficiencies are identified, the applicant is sent a notification within 3 working days with the possibility of correcting them;
  • the status is confirmed by an extract from the Unified State Register of War Veterans with a unique electronic identifier and is acquired from the date the information is entered in the Register;
  • the entity is obliged to notify the Ministry of Veterans Affairs within 7 working days of any changes, including termination of activity, changes in the composition of founders, or changes in the beneficial owner;
  • if non-compliance with the criteria is identified, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs sends a notification, and if the violation is not remedied within 7 working days, the entity is deprived of the status;
  • after deprivation of the status on certain grounds — false information, non-compliance, or law violations — a repeat application for the status may be submitted no earlier than after 1 year;
  • decisions on refusal, deprivation, or termination of the status may be appealed under an administrative procedure or in court.

What happened:

The resolution established a complete administrative cycle for managing the status — from submitting an application to restoring the status after violations have been remedied — and designated the Ministry of Veterans Affairs as the sole authorized body on these matters. Records of all entities are kept through the Unified State Register of War Veterans.

 

State target program Veteran. Work for 2026–2027

Cabinet Order #154-r of February 11, 2026

Who is affected: war veterans, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, the State Employment Service, and local self-government bodies.

Summary:

  • the order introduces a state employment program for veterans: instead of fragmented measures, a single coordinated policy is being established for 2026–2027;
  • methodological recommendations will be developed for employers on integrating veterans into work teams, including taking into account the psychological readiness of teams for such integration;
  • veterans will receive expanded access to formal and non-formal education, including first-cycle higher education, with subsequent support when entering the labor market;
  • a web resource will be introduced for job search, with personalized assistance and accessible templates tailored to the needs of veterans;
  • the individual needs of veterans regarding the adaptation of workplaces retained for them by law will be identified, with the involvement of support specialists and employer representatives;
  • separate incentives will be provided for the employment of veterans in the civil service and in local self-government bodies, for which the relevant legislative framework will be developed;
  • a system of public reporting and data analysis will be introduced, with clear performance indicators for each area of the program;
  • an interagency coordination mechanism will be created to implement the program, bringing together central and local authorities, businesses, trade unions, civil society, and international partners.

What happened:

The Cabinet approved the state target program Veteran. Work for 2026–2027 — a comprehensive instrument for the economic integration of war veterans through ensuring stable employment, developing new competencies, and supporting long-term financial independence. The estimated funding amounts to 276.5 million UAH: 194.2 million UAH in 2026 and 82.3 million UAH in 2027. Funds will be allocated from the state and local budgets, as well as from international technical assistance.

 

Financial assistance to persons discharged from compulsory military service

Cabinet Resolution #285 of March 4, 2026

Who is affected: persons discharged from compulsory military service after completing it.

Summary:

  • the resolution established the amount of financial assistance:
    • for those who were employed before conscription — in the amount of their average wage as of the date of discharge from service, but not less than the subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons;
    • for those who were not employed — in the amount of the subsistence minimum;
  • payments will be provided by the Pension Fund: funds are transferred to the person’s bank account within one month from the date the person is registered for military records at their place of residence;
  • the payment process is initiated by territorial recruitment and social support centers: within 10 days after registering the person, they must submit the relevant request to the Pension Fund, along with documents on employment history and an application containing the bank account details;
  • interaction between recruitment centers and the Pension Fund will be automatic to obtain data on a person’s earnings. If such data is absent, the person is notified through their electronic account on the Pension Fund web portal and may submit a certificate online.

What happened:

The resolution established a guarantee of receiving the payment for compulsory military service. The mechanism is based on the principle of minimizing the burden on the service member: the initiative to launch the payment lies with the recruitment centers, not with the individual.

The base amount for those who had no official earnings, or whose data are absent from the register, equals the subsistence minimum as of 1 January of the year of conscription, rather than the year of discharge. Considering inflation, this means a devaluation of the payment for those who served for several years. This is a technical but significant detail that may become increasingly important as compulsory military service resumes in wartime conditions and the number of such payments grows.