Defense spending in Ukraine hits $1.8 Trillion hryvnias in 2024

Ukraine’s government has allocated 1.8 trillion hryvnias to the country’s defense sector, which makes staggering 58.6% of the entire state budget.

In November alone,  it spent  206.4 billion hryvnias to keeping the country safe and secure. Ukraine’s finance ministry said the expenditures included

  • Salaries for service members: This includes military personnel, law enforcement, and officers at all levels.
  • Equipment and supplies: Everything from advanced weaponry and ammunition to helmets, body armor, fuel, and even food rations made the list.
  • Medical support: Ensuring troops stay healthy and battle-ready.
  • Operational expenses: Covering the costs of running critical defense organizations.

The report stresses that defense remains the top priority, saying, “Security and defense are the backbone of the state budget.”

It is important that Ukraine isn’t relying on foreign aid for these expenditures. The finance ministry confirmed these funds come exclusively from domestic revenues and loans.

Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.

The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.

In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.

Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.

Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.