Pensions in occupation: The Russian Federation may appropriate payments of deceased Ukrainians

In the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, there remains a risk of illegal receipt of Ukrainian pensions. This was stated by former Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine Oksana Zholnovych, pointing to a scheme where payments can be withdrawn even after the recipient’s death.

This is not about isolated incidents, but a systemic threat to the budget and the Pension Fund. In the absence of full state control in the occupied territories, such cases are almost impossible to detect promptly.

What Oksana Zholnovych stated and what the essence of the problem is

According to Oksana Zholnovych, Russian military and mercenaries in the temporarily occupied territories can appropriate the bank cards of deceased people and continue to withdraw pension payments. The state does not always have access to current information about the fate of a specific person.

The former minister emphasized that such risks were one of the reasons for the introduction of pensioner identification procedures. These checks previously sparked public debate, but their goal is to prevent budget funds from falling into the hands of occupation structures.

Separately, Zholnovych noted that the situation in the territory controlled by Ukraine is fundamentally different. There, the state has access to registers and can conduct checks without excessive pressure on people.

Why the pensioner identification procedure was introduced

The identification mechanism was introduced to confirm the recipient’s existence and exclude the financing of so-called ‘dead souls’.

In wartime conditions, control over budget flows becomes a matter not only of social policy but also of national security.

“We do not understand if this person is alive in the occupation. Or if the occupier has already taken their card,” Zholnovych explained.

In territories where there is no Ukrainian administration and access to operational information, the state cannot timely receive data on citizens’ deaths. This creates a field for abuse.

Internally displaced persons and the ex-minister’s position

At the same time, the ex-minister believes that internally displaced persons living in the territory controlled by Ukraine should not be additionally burdened with procedures.

According to her, with access to state registers, checks can be conducted without unnecessary bureaucracy and without creating tension among pensioners.

“There is an opportunity to check all registers and there is no need to disturb people,” she emphasized.

Thus, the focus is on a differentiated approach: strict control where there is a risk of abuse, and a more flexible model where the state maintains manageability of processes.

Risks to the budget and the international context

According to Zholnovych, the risk of financing ‘dead souls’ remains significant and leads to direct losses of resources from the Pension Fund of Ukraine. In the conditions of full-scale war and budget deficit, this has strategic significance.

The issue of pensions in the occupied territories is not only an internal Ukrainian topic. It directly affects countries where Ukrainian refugees and repatriates reside, including Israel. For the audience of NANews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency, this topic is also important because it demonstrates how war affects social systems and the financial stability of the state.

For Ukraine’s international partners, transparency of social payments and prevention of abuse is one of the criteria of trust when providing financial assistance. Therefore, identification procedures are considered not only as an internal administrative measure but also as an element of financial discipline.

Zholnovych herself acknowledges that the topic remains sensitive and causes public debate. However, according to her, without verification mechanisms, there is a risk that budget funds will continue to leak through uncontrolled channels.

In conditions where the state does not have physical access to part of its territory, social policy is forced to adapt to the military reality. And the issue of controlling pension payments becomes part of a broader problem — how to maintain the manageability of the financial system in conditions of occupation and informational isolation.

The topic of pensions in the occupied territories, pensioner identification procedures, and budget protection remain some of the key challenges of Ukraine’s social policy in 2026.