Zelenskyy signed a law raising salaries for police officers and first responders
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a law on modernizing the pay structure for police officers and employees of the State Emergency Service. The law establishes new approaches to determining salaries and social benefits for members of these services.
The law stipulates that for police officers and civil protection service employees, the minimum salary shall be no less than 10 times the subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons, as determined as of January 1 of the relevant year.
Based on the subsistence minimum set for 2026, the minimum amount of financial support will be 33,280 hryvnias.
However, this provision does not apply to cadets and students at specialized educational institutions.
The monetary allowance for employees of the State Emergency Service and the National Police will include:
- base salary;
- a salary based on rank;
- a seniority allowance;
- bonuses;
- other payments determined by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
The document emphasizes that the amount of payments must take into account the nature of the service, the intensity and danger of the work, and must also help attract qualified specialists.
The law stipulates that the monetary compensation for police officers and rescue workers will be subject to mandatory indexation in accordance with current legislation.
The procedure for payments to police officers serving abroad or on assignment to other agencies and organizations is also regulated separately.
The document provides that police officers who:
- have been taken captive;
- have been taken hostage;
- have been interned;
- have gone missing under special circumstances,
will continue to receive financial support, which will be paid to their family members until the circumstances are clarified, they are released, declared missing, or presumed dead.
In the event of indexation, the corresponding payments will also be adjusted.
The law stipulates that these social guarantees shall not apply to police officers who voluntarily surrendered or deserted their posts without authorization.
The new regulations are expected to:
- enhance the prestige of service in the police and the State Emergency Service;
- ensure a fair level of compensation;
- attract qualified personnel;
- strengthen motivation to perform official duties effectively.
The law is set to become one of the key steps in reforming the system of financial support for law enforcement officers and rescue workers in Ukraine.
This was reported on the parliament’s website.
In addition, Ukrainian teachers can expect another pay raise in September 2026. This will be the second phase of pay increases following the January adjustment.
The reform of territorial recruitment and social support centers will be implemented after decisions are made regarding salary increases for military personnel and the regulation of terms of service. The head of government announced this, emphasizing that the relevant changes will be considered in conjunction with other personnel and social reforms in the security and defense sector.
