Odessa's Commitment to Supporting Ukrainian Forces Amid War
Throughout the ongoing war, Odessa remains committed to assisting the Armed Forces of Ukraine. From the onset of the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, until July 1, 2025, the city’s budget has allocated 5.5 billion UAH to combat Russian aggression.
The majority of these funds are directed towards supporting the armed forces and security measures.
Since October 2023, due to legislative changes, the income tax from military personnel has been removed from the municipal budget.
This amounts to over 1 billion UAH annually for Odessa, which is transferred to the state for centralized procurement of drones and electronic warfare systems.
Despite the budget constraints, city council members unanimously decide to continue supporting the military, prioritizing units engaged in frontline operations.
The highest funding for anti-aggression measures occurred in 2024, totaling 2.16 billion UAH. In the first half of 2025, 632.9 million UAH has already been financed, with an additional 732.7 million UAH projected by the end of the year for military unit requests.
Odessa has received appreciation from military personnel, including Territorial Defense brigades, for its ongoing support.
Under the Law of Ukraine on the Foundations of National Resistance and the City Assistance Program for Territorial Defense, material and technical support for Odessa brigades has exceeded 379 million UAH, covering vehicles, drones, EW systems, boats, digital equipment, gear, first-aid kits, charging stations, generators, radios, cameras, simulators, washing and bathing complexes, and containers.
In 2025, 91.4 million UAH is designated for requests from any Territorial Defense units regardless of their location. In 2024, the city budget allocated nearly 11.4 million UAH to support public organizations fulfilling Territorial Defense requests for EW systems and drones, with an additional 50 million UAH planned for 2025.
The city is also developing veteran policies, offering rehabilitation services, creating barrier-free environments, supporting families of the fallen and individuals with disabilities, and organizing hero burials.
Additionally, one-time assistance is provided to mobilized contractors. Given the ongoing enemy shelling, Odessa also supplies residents with material aid for repairing blown-out windows and doors; restores damaged residential buildings, schools, kindergartens, critical infrastructure, and maintains shelters and alert systems, while supporting internally displaced persons.
