Ukraine's Combat Veteran Status Now Granted Instantly Through Digital Reform

Combat Veteran Status Now Granted in Minutes

According to ХВИЛЯ: Ukraine's Ministry of Defense has reported the results of its 2025 digitalization drive for granting combat veteran status. What was once a process taking months now occurs almost instantly due to automation. In 2025, a total of 250,781 individuals received this status, with nearly half of the decisions made without the involvement of special commissions. This reform is a critical part of Ukraine's broader effort to support its military personnel and veterans efficiently.

Automation Drives a Fifty-Fold Increase in Processing

At the start of 2025, fewer than 500 combat veteran certificates were issued automatically per month. However, by November 2025, that figure had surged to over 25,000 automatic decisions monthly. This represents a fifty-fold increase in the automated granting of status from the beginning to the end of the year. According to Cabinet of Ministers Decree No. 1041, an algorithm independently verifies information and, upon confirming the necessary evidence, assigns the status, which is then automatically reflected in state registries.

Service members can generate an electronic certificate in the Diia app or obtain a paper extract from the registry at the nearest Administrative Services Center (ЦНАП). An authorized person is obligated to enter the data into the Unified State Register of War Veterans within 5 days of the start of a combat mission. This digital transformation has significantly simplified and accelerated the process of obtaining combat veteran status, marking a vital step in supporting Ukraine's defenders.

The digitalization of combat veteran status procedures is a key element in modernizing Ukraine's administrative systems, designed to enhance efficiency in serving military personnel and veterans. The speed and automation not only improve access to rights and benefits but also help build trust in state institutions. Given the significant need for veteran support, streamlining this status procedure is a crucial component in upholding their social rights and the state's obligations to them.