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Ukraine Unveils Military Contracts to Entice Younger Recruits
Above: Ukrainian soldiers from the 5th Heavy Mechanized Brigade, equipped with Leopard 1A5 tanks, operating in the Kurakhove and Pokrovsk directions in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, on Feb. 9, 2025. Image copyright: Oleksandr Klymenko/Contributor/Ukrinform/NurPhotovia Getty Images
The Facts
While talk of negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war heated up this week, Ukraine unveiled lucrative military contracts for new fighters aged 18 to 24 in an effort to plug urgent shortages of front-line troops.
Last year, under the previous US administration of Pres. Joe Biden, the White House urged Ukraine to drop the mobilization age from 25 to 18 in order to boost Ukraine's fighting numbers. However, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy resisted, arguing the move would harm Ukraine's long-term future.
Zelenskyy has this week sought to attract younger fighters not by forced conscription, but with the offer of a one-year contract for voluntary service. According to the Ministry of Defense's official release, the contract promised a signing bonus of 1M hryvnias ($24K) — paid throughout their year of service — in addition to a monthly salary equivalent to $2.8K.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
This new contract by Ukraine gives younger recruits who volunteer to serve their country the opportunities to gain new experiences — including professional combat training to NATO standards — for decent financial rewards. It also includes a range of benefits such as zero-percent mortgages and education at the state's expense.
Establishment-critical narrative
This move may try to increase troop numbers but it's a stab in the back of Ukraine's seasoned service members, some of whom have survived nearly three years of war. Where are their guarantees for social protection and financial contribution for all they have done?