Rada backs bill sending defence-export permit fees to Defence Ministry

Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada has approved in first reading bill No. 15400, which would send all fees for defence-export permits to the Defence Ministry. The ministry announced the vote on its Telegram channel on 13 October 2026.

The Rada "adopted the bill as a basis". That is the first of the votes a bill needs, so it is not yet law. The bill must still pass a second reading and a vote on the whole text, and then be signed by the president.

What the bill proposes

The bill covers fees for processing and issuing documents in the field of state export control of military-purpose and dual-use goods. Dual-use goods are items that have both civilian and military applications. If the bill is adopted in full, 100% of these fees would go to a special fund of the state budget. The money would then be directed to the Defence Ministry.

The ministry says the bill sets out the following split:

• 50% for the procurement, modernisation and repair of weapons and military equipment;
• 50% for the pay (monetary allowances) of Armed Forces personnel.

Stated aim

According to the ministry, the initiative is meant to link the growth of the export potential of Ukraine's defence industry with funding for the army's needs.

What is not known

The ministry's announcement does not give the amount of the fees, the vote count, or the expected date of the second reading. It also does not say how much money the change could raise. Those details could not be confirmed from the available material. The text of the bill was not reviewed for this report, so the description above rests on the ministry's summary.

The vote comes as the ministry deals with several issues linked to the defence industry. Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara said earlier this month that the ministry wants to shield defence-industry workers from mobilisation as far as possible.