Analysis of Deputy Funds in 2025
A review of deputy funds in Ukrainian regional capitals for 2025 reveals a total allocation exceeding half a billion hryvnias. These funds were directed toward financial aid for citizens, capital expenditures, and support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The analysis highlights varying local approaches, with some cities increasing these budgets while others chose to eliminate them entirely. These discretionary funds are a common feature of local governance in Ukraine, allowing council members to address community needs directly.
Deputy Fund Programs in 2025
In 2025, deputy fund programs were active in nine regional centers, including:
- Odesa
- Dnipro
- Zaporizhzhia
- Lviv
- Kropyvnytskyi
- Vinnytsia
- Ivano-Frankivsk
- Zhytomyr
- Chernihiv
Individual allocations varied widely: Odesa council members had 5 million hryvnias each, Dnipro 2.3 million, Zaporizhzhia 1.25 million, and Vinnytsia 40 thousand. Lutsk and Cherkasy opted not to use deputy funds. Chernihiv budgeted 4 million hryvnias but spent only 25 thousand.
Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, and Kropyvnytskyi increased their deputy fund amounts compared to 2024. Odesa's fund grew by 25%, Zaporizhzhia's by 25%, Lviv's by 33%, and Kropyvnytskyi's by 22.5%. Odesa's total fund for 2025 was 280 million hryvnias. However, five Odesa deputies lost access to their funds due to absenteeism, reducing the available sum by 25 million hryvnias. Nine other Odesa deputies redirected nearly 26 million hryvnias to support defense forces.
In Dnipro, the fund for material aid totaled 19.2 million hryvnias (300 thousand per deputy), with 1 million left unspent by year's end. A separate program for territorial development in Dnipro had a budget of 128 million hryvnias. Zaporizhzhia allocated over 76 million hryvnias for deputy funds, spending 75 million. Of this, nearly 55 million went to social protection, 12.5 million to utilities and infrastructure, and almost 9 million to municipal institutions.
Lviv deputies had 800 thousand hryvnias each, with the average material aid payment being 6,700 hryvnias. Deputies in Zhytomyr and Ivano-Frankivsk had 300 thousand hryvnias each, while those in Kropyvnytskyi had 98 thousand. In Vinnytsia, deputy Andrii Andreev provided aid to 76 individuals from his 40-thousand-hryvnia fund, with an average payment of 500 hryvnias. Another Vinnytsia deputy, Roman Androniichuk, assisted 91 people, with an average payment of 439 hryvnias.
Chernihiv's program allowed for 100 thousand hryvnias per deputy, but only one deputy, Viktor Bystrov, provided aid to a single recipient. Uzhhorod's 'Good Deed' program had a budget of 7.7 million hryvnias, with a per-recipient limit of 6 thousand hryvnias. In Kharkiv, the limit for one-time targeted aid was 5 thousand hryvnias.
The current study is based on data from requests to local governments, their official websites, and deputies' social media pages. It is important to note that the analysis does not include the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, and Crimea.
The 2025 review of deputy funds in Ukraine's regional capitals shows that this financial mechanism for social needs and local development remains a significant tool for city councils. Budget increases in some cities and the redirection of funds to military support demonstrate local governments adapting to current challenges. Conversely, the decision by some cities to forgo these funds underscores divergent approaches to fiscal management during a period of economic strain.