New order simplifies welfare benefits processing for families of fallen soldiers
The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has approved updated rules for personnel accounting in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The regulations standardise the date of removal from unit rosters for deceased service members, as well as assignment procedures for soldiers returning after unauthorized absence. The changes took effect on October 30, 2026. This is reported by the portal PromPolitInform, citing information from the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
The relevant adjustments were enacted by Ministry of Defence Order No. 357, dated October 5, 2026, amending the Personnel Accounting Instruction. The document streamlines personnel administration and resolves previous legal discrepancies.
New procedure for determining date of removal for deceased soldiers
The updated rules apply to service members previously listed as missing in action, prisoners of war, or hostages whose death was subsequently confirmed. Going forward, the official date of removal from personnel rosters will be the date the death is officially registered via a civil status record.
Previously, service members were removed on the day following the date specified in the medical death certificate, which frequently caused administrative clashes due to delays between actual death and official registration. “Thus, military accounting will be aligned with the official date of death registration, which is essential for families applying for pensions, aid, and benefits,” stated Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine Liubov Halan.
The new algorithm does not mandate automatic review of previously issued orders. If a service member was removed from rosters before October 30, 2026, the family must apply to court to contest the date.
Assignments after unauthorized absence and troop transfers
Order No. 357 also simplified administrative requirements for assignment orders involving soldiers who voluntarily returned after unauthorized absence. Document texts will no longer detail sub-unit hierarchy or extensive personal details, requiring only the coded unit designation, birth year, and tax identification number.
Additionally, accounting procedures during personnel transfers were adjusted. Mobilized personnel will now transfer to the roster of their destination unit immediately upon signing of the handover act by an authorized representative, rather than upon physical arrival.
Furthermore, the updated framework establishes electronic record-keeping procedures at territorial recruitment centres for mobilized citizens as well as foreign nationals joining the armed forces under contract.
Photo: Ministry of Defence of Ukraine
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