The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has explained the specifics of providing additional leave for military personnel, outlining the procedure for its arrangement, duration, and issues related to the retention of monetary compensation.
This is reported by Finway
Main Categories of Military Personnel and Their Rights to Additional Leave
Legislation distinguishes several categories of military personnel, each with different conditions for obtaining additional days of rest:
- Combatants and individuals with disabilities due to war. They are entitled to 14 calendar days of additional leave per year, during which their monetary compensation is retained.
- Individuals with special merits before the Motherland. They are entitled to up to 3 weeks of additional leave per year at a convenient time. However, monetary compensation is not provided during this period.
- War participants. They may take up to 2 weeks of additional leave per year without retaining monetary compensation.
“Legislation clearly defines which military personnel are granted additional leave and whether monetary compensation is paid during this time”.
When planning additional leave, military personnel must consider not only its duration but also the possibility of retaining or not receiving payments during this time.
Special Leave Procedures During Martial Law
During the period of martial law, additional leave is granted with the permission of the commander or head of the military unit (except for those undergoing basic service). Travel time within Ukraine is added separately: up to two days each way. This period is not counted towards the duration of the leave itself.
It is important to remember that the procedure for arranging and the conditions of leave may change depending on the legal regime and the specific military unit.
Monetary Compensation for Unused Leave Upon Dismissal
Upon dismissal from military service, a military personnel member may receive compensation only for those unused leaves that are legally granted with retained monetary compensation. In particular, monetary compensation is not provided for additional leaves granted to war participants and individuals with special merits before the Motherland, as these types of leave are unpaid.