Payments to families of deceased foreign military personnel

One-time financial assistance to the families of fallen Foreign Legion servicemen

In the event of the death of a service member while performing combat missions or as a result of injuries sustained during martial law, the state provides significant financial support to the family. This is known as a one-time financial assistance (OFA). If you need legal services in the form of a consultation or support in obtaining this assistance, you can request them from the military lawyers at “Prikhodko&Partners”.

Amount of compensation for the death of a military man

A fixed amount of UAH 15,000,000 has been established for most service members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other law enforcement agencies who died defending the country under martial law. It should be noted that the legal basis for receiving this payment is a regulation in effect in accordance with special decisions of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Defense since 2022. As of 2026, this regulation remains unchanged. It is important to understand that this payment applies to both service members who hold Ukrainian citizenship and to foreigners. Let’s take a closer look at which members of a service member’s family are eligible to receive this payment.

Who will receive payments for the fallen Foreign Legion soldier?

Family members and other persons defined by current legislation are eligible to receive the one-time financial assistance as of the date of death of a service member. It’s also important to be aware of the option of personal instruction. If a service member has made instructions during their lifetime to whom they wish to send the funds, the procedure for receiving them will be as follows:

• If no one in the service member’s family is entitled to payment, then all funds are received by those named in the personal order, in accordance with the portions specified in the document.
• If the personal order does not specify the persons entitled to payment, these persons are still entitled to their share—50% of what they would have received in the absence of the personal order.
• If there is no personal order, then the assistance is distributed equally among those family members of the service member specified in the provisions of current legislation (children, spouse, parents of the deceased service member).

As for children, this includes those conceived during the soldier’s lifetime and born after their death. Parents and adoptive parents are entitled to a share, provided they have not been deprived of parental rights.

Separate consideration should also be given to those who have an inalienable right to a share in the OFA, even if the order provides for payment to others outside the family of the deceased. This category of persons includes minors and underage children, disabled adult children, a disabled spouse, and disabled parents.

In the absence of an order and those persons entitled to priority in receiving the OFA, the following may apply for this assistance: the grandchildren of the deceased; the person with whom he permanently resided without registering the marriage (subject to confirmation of this fact in court); and dependents.

Deadlines for applying for payments

An application for assistance must be submitted no later than 3 years from the date of the death certificate. If a person was declared missing or missing under special circumstances and the court declared them dead, the deadline is also 3 years from the date of the relevant certificate.

Where should I apply for payments?

The appropriate authority for contacting depends directly on where the deceased foreign service member served. If the service member is in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the appropriate District TCC and JV should be contacted.

If the deceased served in the National Guard, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine of the Ministry of Defense, the State Border Service, the State Special Communications Service, or the State Special Transport Service, you should contact the relevant agency or formation directly.

Once the documents are submitted, the authorized body issues a decision regarding the payment eligibility and then forwards it to the Ministry of Defense or another central authority. Following approval by the DTCC and the JV or other relevant agency, applicants are notified of the decision.

Special considerations for families of foreign military personnel

As for the family members of foreigners who died defending Ukraine, as already noted, they have the same right to receive the OFA as the families of Ukrainian military citizens. However, despite the similar procedure, some special considerations should be noted, particularly the requirement for notarized translations of documents confirming family ties, marriage, or the birth of children.

We would like to specifically note the basis for the payment of the one-time financial assistance. The primary regulatory document establishing the relevant legal provisions is Order № 45 of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine dated January 25, 2023, “On approval of the procedure and conditions for the appointment and payment of a one-time financial assistance in the event of death of servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during martial law”. Furthermore, it is worth noting Resolution № 168 of the Cabinet of Ministers dated February 28, 2022. Among the laws, this includes the Law of Ukraine “On social and legal protection of military personnel and their family members”, which outlines the key provisions regarding social support for military personnel.

If you need legal support to receive a one-time financial assistance payment, you can request these services by submitting a request on our website.