Mykolaiv City Council plans to appeal to the Government to secure ₴40 billion for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Mykolaiv City Council, August 2025. Photo: Andrii Shynkarenko

Members of the Mykolaiv City Council are calling on the President, the Verkhovna Rada and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to review their approaches to the financial and social support of the country’s defenders, in particular to restore 40 billion hryvnias for the support of the military, which the Government had previously decided to withdraw from the Ministry of Defence’s budget for other purposes.

The relevant draft resolution was initiated by city councillor Olena Kiseliova (European Solidarity faction), according to NikVesti.

The appeal notes that local communities have been shouldering the burden of supporting the army for 12 years now, often performing functions that should fall within the remit of the central government. The councillors emphasise that cuts to defence funding are unacceptable.

«Ukraine continues to exist thanks to the courage and self-sacrifice of our defenders. That is precisely why adequate pay for military personnel, fair conditions of service and sufficient funding for the defence sector must be among the main priorities of state policy,» the document states.

In addition to financial issues, the councillors draw attention to the acute problem of the lack of clear terms of service, which has a negative impact on the morale of personnel. The City Council demands that the state take the following steps:

• the return of 40 billion hryvnias to the Ministry of Defence;
• the legislative establishment of clear and fair terms of military service;
• an increase in the basic pay rate to 30,000 hryvnias, and to 250,000–400,000 hryvnias when carrying out combat missions;
• the introduction of incentive payments upon signing contracts and the development of a comprehensive state programme of social support for veterans.

«Treating military personnel with dignity is a key issue of national security and a prerequisite for the country’s survival. We call on the President of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to adopt the relevant decisions without delay and to demonstrate that support for Ukrainian soldiers is not merely a declaration, but a genuine priority of state policy,» the councillors conclude in their appeal.

Draft appeal by Mykolaiv City Council councillors to the Government and the Verkhovna Rada regarding the defence budget

Draft appeal by members of the Mykolaiv City Council to the Government and the Verkhovna Rada regarding the defence budget

It should be noted that a similar appeal has also been prepared by the Pervomaisk City Council.

It should be recalled that 240 MPs voted in favour of Bill №15224 at its first reading. Under the draft law, the state budget’s reserve fund will be increased by 40 billion hryvnias, and a further 40 billion will be allocated for the implementation of comprehensive resilience plans for regions and individual cities.