When adults evade responsibility for children: during the war in Ukraine, the number of alimony debtors increased sharply
During war, children find themselves in conditions where even basic care becomes a matter of survival. The loss of a parent, separation, evacuation or long-term life in broken families all increase the need for stable support. However, instead of the necessary support, some Ukrainian children are faced with parents’ evasion of responsibility, as well as ignoring basic duties and a deliberate refusal to participate in the child’s life, even at the minimum material level. One of the most visible signs of this problem has been the increase in the number of child support evaders during a period of full-scale war.
How many debtors in Ukraine for non-payment of alimony
For official according to data, as of mid-July 2025, 187,116 open proceedings regarding non-payment of alimony are recorded in the Unified Register of Debtors (ERB). Compared to the pre-war period, this is 23,246 more — that is, 14% more than before the start of the full-scale invasion. For more than three years of full-scale war, the registry has shown a steady upward trend. It is worth noting that we are talking about the growth of executive proceedings: the register is constantly updated, some debts are closed, new ones appear. But these figures are a testimony: the war did not stop the evasion of responsibility, and in some places even accelerated it.
It should be noted that in 91% of cases, men are involved in cases of non-payment of alimony. This gender gap is stable and is explained by the prevailing practice of leaving children to be raised by mothers. However, the largest number of simultaneously opened proceedings is a woman – a resident of the Kyiv region. Eight enforcement cases have been registered against her, which is currently the highest individual indicator in the country.
The age structure of debtors also has clear dynamics. Persons aged 25 to 45 make up 85.7% of all participants in alimony proceedings — that is, those who have the greatest social and labor opportunities to support a child. Only 7.6% are younger than 25, 6.6% are older than 45. This shows that it is not about teenage irresponsibility or retirement poverty, but about the mass reluctance of middle-aged adult men to fulfill parental duties.
Geography of evasion: where alimony is not paid most often
The largest number of enforcement proceedings for non-payment of alimony was opened in the Dnipropetrovsk region — 26,268 cases. It is followed by Odesa (13,516), Kharkiv (13,011), Donetsk (11,680) and Kyiv (11,050) regions. At the same time, some regions show a dramatic change in the situation compared to pre-war times.
Thus, in the Kharkiv region, the number of alimony proceedings increased 5.4 times over three years — from approximately 2,400 to more than 13,000. In Chernihiv region, the dynamics are more modest, but also indicative: a 2.2-fold increase — from 2,198 to 4,747 cases. These regions were affected by hostilities, which could explain the situation. But in many cases, evasion of alimony payments is not due to the complete loss of sources of income, but due to ignoring the moral and legal obligation. Moreover, some of the debtors live in safer regions and work officially.
In contrast to this, the Kherson region recorded a sharp reduction in the number of cases: from 11,139 to 1,727 – by 6.4 times. The reasons can be different — from the loss of state control over part of the territories to difficulties in accessing state services, but the situation requires a separate analysis.
Despite the existing mechanisms of forced collection of alimony – blocking of accounts, restrictions on travel abroad, driving ban – the problem remains systemic. The increase in the number of debtors during the period of general mobilization of the country’s resources for the protection of children looks particularly alarming. Social benefits, humanitarian aid, international support projects cannot compensate for the indifference of a father or mother to their own child.
Child support arrears are a marker of the social gap between a parent and the child they should be supporting regardless of the circumstances. A full-scale war is no excuse for a state that continues to fulfill its obligations to children. However, it seems to have become a convenient backdrop for those who chose to distance themselves from responsibility. At a time when many Ukrainian children were left without a familiar home, education and a sense of security, it was their parents who should become their support. But, unfortunately, not everyone takes on this responsibility.
