Cabinet proposes to Verkhovna Rada to increase funding for Security and Defense Forces by UAH 412 billion – Shmyhal

The Cabinet of Ministers proposes to the Verkhovna Rada to increase funding for the Security and Defense Forces by UAH 412 billion. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced this on the Telegram channel, the Ukrainian News agency reports.

"Today, the Government is adopting a bill on amendments to the State Budget for 2025. We propose to increase funding for the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine this year by UAH 412 billion hrvnias. Of these, almost UAH 311 billion is allocated to the Ministry of Defense," he said.

The government also proposes to allocate more than UAH 100 billion to strengthen the capabilities of the Ministry of Strategic Industries, the National Guard, the Border Guard Service, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. Another UAH 6.3 billion is proposed to be sent to the Ministry of Digital Transformation, in particular for the development of defense innovations.

In total, the government proposes to increase expenditures of the general fund of the state budget by UAH 449 billion. According to the Prime Minister, the sources of covering these expenses are an increase in budget revenues and an increase in domestic borrowing.

Shmyhal noted that in the first 5 months of this year, the government allocated almost UAH 1 trillion hryvnias for the defense and security of Ukraine - this is 2/3 of everything financed from the state budget, compared to the same period last year, 34% more funds were allocated for the army and security. He emphasized that the Armed Forces have been funded as a priority and in full all this time.

In addition, the Cabinet of Ministers proposes to allocate an additional UAH 6.1 billion for the Ministry of Education, so that from September 1, children in grades 5-11 in front-line regions can receive free lunches in their schools.

Another UAH 3.1 billion is proposed to be allocated to the Ministry of Health for the purchase of medicines, in particular for the treatment of citizens with oncological diseases, viral hepatitis, rare orphan diseases, hemophilia.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, Roksolana Pidlasa, a Member of Parliament from the Servant of the People faction and head of the parliamentary budget committee, reported that the Cabinet of Ministers is preparing to increase state budget expenditures by UAH 400 billion for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the Verkhovna Rada will adopt a corresponding decision by the end of August.

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