In 2025, thousands of Ukrainian families who lost loved ones due to the war continue to face refusals of payments from the state. Despite official promises of support, many remain without the compensation they are entitled to due to bureaucracy, imperfect laws, and controversial decisions by officials.
Why are they being denied?
According to data from the Office of the Inspector General of Ukraine, since the start of the full-scale invasion, more than 60,000 families have applied for payments for the loss of a breadwinner. However, about 20% of the applications were rejected. The main reasons are:
Lack of official confirmation of death (for example, if a person is missing).
Errors in documents (incorrectly completed certificates, failure to meet criteria).
Disputes about the connection between death and war (for example, death from stress or illness developed as a result of the war is not always recognized).
“My son was killed at the front, but we were denied because his body was not immediately identified. Now we have been proving for three years that he really died,” says the mother of a fallen soldier from Dnipro.
In 2024, the SBU uncovered several cases of fraud involving payments: officials demanded bribes or “kickbacks” to speed up the process. Although the authorities claim to be fighting corruption, the system remains vulnerable.
What is changing? Unfortunately, nothing…
Conclusion
Thousands of families are left without help. The state has a duty to rectify the situation — the war has taken loved ones from these people, and bureaucracy is depriving them of their last hope for support.
