In October, veterans will not receive the 1,500 UAH sports allowance due to a lack of funds

The October phase of the “Veterans’ Sports” program on the “Diya” app will not be launched, and payments of 1,500 hryvnias under the program will not be made. Funding for the program for 2026 has been fully exhausted.

The Ministry of Veterans Affairs noted that over the course of three quarters, demand for the program exceeded initial expectations by nearly three times.

In 2026, 600 million hryvnias were initially allocated for “Veteran Sports.” The estimate was based on approximately 100,000 recipients per quarter—accordingly, about 300,000 applications were expected over three quarters.

The actual demand turned out to be significantly higher: the program was utilized more than 800,000 times during this period.

As a result, additional funds were allocated to “Veteran Sports” throughout the year. In total, over 1.2 billion hryvnias were paid out to participants in 2026—more than twice the amount originally budgeted.

The Ministry of Veterans Affairs noted that all available financial resources have already been allocated to these payments, including funds returned from previous periods. 

“The program has already covered as many participants as this year’s budget allows. All allocated funds have been used for payments, including those returned from previous periods,” the ministry explained. 

Why There Will Be No Payments in October

Additional funding is required to launch the next phase of the program, but there is currently no way to allocate it from the state budget.

The ministry attributes this to budget constraints amid a full-scale war and a challenging economic situation. Defense remains the top priority for government spending.

Therefore, a new application round through “Diy” will not open in October. Accordingly, payments of 1,500 hryvnias will not be made as part of this round. 
 

“We understand how important the ‘Veterans’ Sports’ program has become for many veterans, as it helps them maintain their physical health, recover, and return to an active life,” emphasized the Ministry of Veterans Affairs. 

What Will Happen to the Program in 2027

The Ministry plans to continue the “Veteran Sports” program next year and is working to transition the program from a pilot format to a permanent one.

At the same time, the program’s final format and funding level for 2027 have not yet been determined—they will depend on the state budget’s capacity.

According to the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, the draft State Budget for 2027 allocates a total of 20.5 billion hryvnias for veterans’ policy. This is 3 billion hryvnias more than in 2026. 

This was announced by the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine.
 

The government aims to standardize half of the services for veterans by 2027.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the government and parliament to review current legislation on veterans and modernize it. He also proposed considering the creation of a separate Veterans Code that would address the rights and needs of veterans and their families.