The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine provided LIGA.net with exclusive information on the salaries of Ukraine’s ambassadors abroad, which allowed us to compile a rating of the ten highest salaries. The leader among Ukrainian diplomats in terms of income was Mark Shevchenko, who was Ukraine’s ambassador to Moldova until his dismissal in March 2024. Despite the end of his term of office, Shevchenko continued to receive his salary and allowances, and his earnings in the summer of 2024 averaged UAH 102,795 per month (after taxes). In August, his salary reached UAH 186,349, including UAH 10,525 in allowances for access to state secrets and UAH 220,964 for a long leave after completing a long-term mission.
Ukraine’s Ambassador to Chile, Yuriy Dyudin, was ranked second with an average income of UAH 63,794 for one summer month. Vasyl Khymynets, Ukraine’s representative in Austria, received about UAH 63,550 per month, which put him in third place. Oleksiy Makeev, Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, and Vasyl Zvarych, who represents Ukraine in Poland and the Czech Republic, are in fourth and fifth place. Their average monthly income in the summer months was UAH 63,470.
Ukraine’s ambassadors to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Japan were also among the highest paid diplomats.
In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed the salary of the former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, who is currently serving as ambassador. His average monthly salary for July and August 2024 was UAH 59,947 after taxes.
On average, the salary of a Ukrainian ambassador in 2024 is about UAH 56,412. However, according to the law, diplomats are also guaranteed other social benefits and privileges. These include:
- a supplement for diplomatic rank,
- compensation for long business trips, which may vary depending on the climate and security situation in the host country
- relocation expenses,
- medical care,
- financing of education for children,
- compensation for housing rent,
- priority in access to kindergartens and schools for children of diplomats,
- one-time assistance in case of death or disability in the line of duty,
- assistance in employment of spouses,
- opportunities for professional development both in Ukraine and abroad.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reported that the average annual cost of providing for one employee of a Ukrainian diplomatic mission in 2024 is estimated at UAH 4.56 million. In addition, an average of UAH 2.15 million is allocated annually for rental housing for heads of foreign missions. Additionally, funding is provided for pre-school education (UAH 86,200) and general secondary education (UAH 154,700) for diplomats’ children.
