Since the onset of the war, Odessa has become a crucial stronghold for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. From February 24, 2022, to July 1, 2025, the city allocated significant funds — 5.5 billion UAH — to assist the military in combating Russian aggression.
The majority of these funds are directed towards supporting military forces, defense units, and ensuring public safety. As of October 2023, due to legislative changes, personal income tax from military personnel has been removed from city budgets.
This has resulted in over 1 billion UAH annually being transferred to the state for the centralized procurement of drones and electronic warfare systems.
Despite financial constraints, the Odessa City Council unanimously supports the army, focusing efforts on frontline units.
In 2024, 2.16 billion UAH was allocated to counter Russian aggression, and in the first half of 2025, 632.9 million UAH has already been funded, with plans for an additional 732.7 million UAH by year-end, including military unit requests.
Odessa has received numerous thanks from military units, including Territorial Defense brigades, for its consistent support.
Under the Law of Ukraine “On the Fundamentals of National Resistance,” Odessa provided material and technical support to local brigades totaling over 379 million UAH: vehicles, drones, electronic warfare systems, boats, digital technology, medical kits, and more.
In 2025, 91.4 million UAH is planned for requests from any Territorial Defense units. In 2024, nearly 11.4 million UAH was allocated from the city budget to support NGOs fulfilling requests for electronic warfare systems and drones, with an additional 50 million UAH planned for 2025.
The city is also actively developing veteran policies, providing rehabilitation services, creating barrier-free environments, and supporting families of the fallen heroes.
Additionally, one-time assistance is provided to mobilized contract soldiers. Odessa also offers material aid to residents for repairing damaged homes and restoring infrastructure.