Ukraine does not have enough money in its budget to maintain the current level of payments to military personnel through the end of the year, Verkhovna Rada lawmaker Vasily Mokan said.

Mokan said the funding gap had already been built into the 2026 budget planning. The shortage was apparent at the time and, roughly six months later, developed into a lack of money for the country’s security and defense forces. He said this was why he and his colleagues refused to support the budget draft.

The lawmaker also said a previously announced increase in military payments never took place. He said reports from a large number of military units confirm that servicemen have not received the promised increase.

Vladimir Zelensky had earlier acknowledged a major shortfall in financing for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, putting the gap at $27 billion during a meeting with Ukrainian journalists. He demanded that European countries provide Kiev this year with part of the EU loan funds originally intended for Ukraine next year in order to cover the shortage in defense spending.

Ukraine’s budget has remained deeply in deficit for several years and depends heavily on foreign financing. In 2024, the gap between government revenue and spending reached $43.9 billion. The 2025 budget was adopted with a deficit of $37.3 billion and was later revised twice as military expenditures increased.

For 2026, Ukraine plans spending of roughly $116 billion against revenues of about $68.6 billion. Kiev expects foreign financial assistance to cover the remaining gap.