Ukraine Launches Combat Bonuses of $2,200 for Captures and $330 for Enemy Kills

Ukrainian troops will receive cash bonuses for capturing or destroying enemy personnel under the first stage of a sweeping overhaul of the Defense Forces, the Ministry of Defense announced on June 29.

The awards stem from the Cabinet of Ministers Resolution, which launched an experimental project introducing additional payments for combat results, according to the ministry.

The ministry described the measure as part of the first stage of the Defense Forces’ transformation.

It framed the payments as a way to reward front-line service members for confirmed action against enemy personnel.

The ministry set two award levels:

• roughly $2,200 for taking an enemy service member prisoner;

• around $330 for destroying enemy personnel.

When several servicemembers jointly take a prisoner, the ministry noted, the larger award is divided proportionally among them.

The bonus for destroying enemy personnel in firearms or hand-to-hand combat is paid only when supported by corresponding video confirmation, the ministry added.

The payments are disbursed at the unit commander's direction, together with regular pay, the ministry explained.

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A captured enemy soldier also carries value beyond the battlefield, serving as currency in the prisoner exchanges Ukraine conducts with Russia.

The most recent swap, on June 26, returned 160 Ukrainians held since 2022, bringing the total recovered from Russian captivity to 9,606 service members and civilians since exchanges began.

The per-action awards form the newest layer of a broader military transformation set in motion the same month.

On June 12, Ukraine began the first-ever overhaul of its military service, shifting toward a professional, contract-based force with fixed terms, higher combat pay, discharge guarantees, and equal conditions for foreign volunteers.

The first stage centers on infantry and combat brigades, pairing new contracts with clearer rules on where and how long a soldier serves.

That reform also reshaped battlefield incentives, extending per-task bonuses once limited to drone operators to infantry and assault units.

Under the new contracts, monthly pay on the line of contact averages about $6,700 and can exceed $10,000, with daily rewards tied to holding combat positions, seek-and-destroy missions, and assault operations.

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