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Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukrainian Minister of Defence, speaks during the Defence Contact Group meeting at NATO headquarters on February 12, 2026 in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo by Viktor Fridshon/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images.)
Today Mykhailo Fedorov, the Ukrainian Minister of Defense, announced sweeping reforms that includes:
A recruitment campaign to attract foreign volunteers is being stepped up — private recruitment companies will receive payments for recruiting foreigners. The goal is for up to 50 percent of assault and infantry positions to be filled by foreigners.
Ukraine is transitioning to a contract-based service model which will ensure clear terms of service for soldiers. Pay for rear-area positions will be increased to 30,000 UAH ($670), and combat mission bonuses will also be increased.
Transferring a soldier within a corps will no longer require local commander approval.
Soldiers who went absent without leave will have the opportunity to voluntarily return to military service rather than facing criminal charges. The chance to return will be in force until September 20, 2026. After that criminal penalties for desertion will be strengthened.
New contracts will specify clear terms of service, a soldier’s duties and position, as well as a clear leave period following the contract’s completion. On average, the contract will be for 2 years; for assault troops and infantrymen, it will be 14 months, with the option of a six-month leave period after completion.
For conducting missions on the line of contact, the reward will be 300,000 UAH (about $7,000).
“We are opening the market for recruiting foreigners to strengthen combat units and save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers… This is only the first stage of a large-scale transformation. The second is a comprehensive transformation of the recruitment and mobilization process. We are building an army with clear rules and respect for the military,” Fedorov stated.
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