Government increases benefits for WW II veterans ahead of Victory Day

March 12, Pozirk. The Belarusian government has increased the one-time payment to veterans and victims of the Great Patriotic War.

Timed to May 9, marking the defeat of Nazi Germany, the payment amounts to 4,000 rubels ($1,248) for war veterans and 2,000 rubels ($634) for medal holders and people who worked in military construction in the rear, including during the siege of Leningrad.

Family members of fallen or missing servicemen, partisans, underground fighters as well as former POWs and concentration camps inmates, may receive up to 1,000 rubels ($312).

Last May, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security said that about 1,500 war veterans and some 8,500 war victims, mostly former concentration camp prisoners, were still alive in Belarus. In 2023, the number of people who received the May 9 benefits fell to about 10,000 from 20,000 in 2020. Last year’s payments ranged from 850 to 2,000 rubels.