Vinnytsia and Chernihiv topped the rankings for support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
An analysis of financial support provided to the Ukrainian Armed Forces by regional centers has shown that the size of a city’s budget does not always determine the level of assistance provided to the military. Although Kyiv’s budget exceeded 116 billion hryvnias in 2025, the capital ranked only fourth in terms of the share of defense spending.
This is evidenced by the results of a study by the Chesno movement.
The leaders in terms of the percentage of funding were cities with smaller budgets—Vinnytsia, Chernihiv, and Khmelnytskyi.
Vinnytsia took first place, allocating 17.6% of its budget—1.49 billion UAH out of 8.4 billion—to the security and defense sector. Funds were allocated both in the form of subsidies and through direct purchases for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and volunteer units. In addition, the city invested 350 million UAH in military bonds.
Chernihiv took second place: out of a budget of nearly 5 billion UAH, over 700 million UAH (14.5%) was allocated to support the Armed Forces. At the same time, the full amount of funding for 2025 remains partially unknown—the city council’s response regarding social protection for military personnel mentions only the 236 million UAH already allocated.
Khmelnytskyi took third place, allocating 774 million UAH out of a 6 billion UAH budget. The city combined inter-budgetary transfers with direct purchases and also allocated 16.4 million UAH to a grant program supporting innovative projects to strengthen defense capabilities.
At the same time, in absolute terms, Kyiv allocated the most funds to the military—13.8 billion UAH out of the planned 14.6 billion for 2025. The bulk of the funding is allocated under the “Defender of Kyiv” program (12.2 billion UAH), with the remainder going toward social payments to military personnel.
Specifically, under the city’s program to support defenders, 1.5 billion UAH of the planned 2.3 billion has already been allocated, and 7.8 million UAH in one-time assistance has been paid to 195 Kyiv residents who returned from captivity.
Despite the significant funding, Kyiv’s share of defense spending accounts for 11.87% of the total budget, which is why it did not make it into the top three of the ranking.
Earlier, the 2026 Happiness Index was released, which assesses life satisfaction levels in various countries around the world. Kazakhstan ranked 33rd, Ukraine 111th, and Finland took the top spot. This ranking is important for understanding the socio-economic conditions in countries and the well-being of their populations.
