Ukraine is running out of soldiers after four years of war
Four years into a war that has steadily consumed its fighting generation, Ukraine is reshaping the terms of military service — tripling frontline wages, offering finite contracts, and opening its ranks to foreign volunteers. Backed by a €90 billion EU loan and advancing membership talks with Brussels, Kyiv is signaling not a sprint toward peace but a long, deliberate preparation for a war it expects to endure. In the calculus of nations, this is what sustained will looks like: not triumph declared, but commitment renewed.
- Ukraine's manpower crisis has grown acute enough that President Zelenskyy has ordered a near-tripling of frontline infantry pay — from roughly $1,400–2,100 to $7,000 a month — to make military service a viable choice rather than an obligation.
- New fixed-term contracts of 10, 14, or 24 months replace open-ended conscription, offering soldiers a defined horizon and the government a more flexible recruitment tool.
- Kyiv is expanding its foreign fighter program, building on the roughly 10,000 volunteers from over 70 countries already enlisted, as Ukraine frames its war as a cause that transcends its own borders.
- A €90 billion EU loan is unlocking record defense spending of approximately $97 billion this year, with the first disbursements expected within weeks — turning diplomatic solidarity into battlefield currency.
- Ukraine's drone campaign is reaching deeper into Russia than ever, striking an oil refinery over 1,000 kilometers from the front, while EU ambassadors simultaneously greenlit membership negotiations — escalating pressure militarily and anchoring Ukraine's future diplomatically.
Four years into a grinding war, Ukraine is confronting a hard arithmetic: it is running out of soldiers. On Friday, President Zelenskyy announced a sweeping overhaul of military pay and recruitment. Frontline infantry will see monthly wages nearly triple to around $7,000, up from $1,400–2,100. New fixed-term contracts — 10, 14, or 24 months — will replace open-ended service, giving soldiers a defined endpoint. The basic military wage will also rise by a third, bringing it closer to Ukraine's civilian average salary.
The financial architecture behind these changes is a €90 billion EU loan, enabling record defense spending of roughly $97 billion for the year. Zelenskyy described the wage increases as part of a broader transformation of the Ukrainian army — an acknowledgment that conscription alone cannot sustain the fight. Beyond raising pay at home, Kyiv is also recruiting abroad, announcing expanded channels for foreign volunteers to enlist. Since the war began, an estimated 10,000 fighters from more than 70 countries have joined; the new push suggests that number will grow.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is intensifying military pressure on Russia through drone strikes reaching deeper into Russian territory than at any prior point in the war. On Friday, Kyiv struck a major oil refinery more than 1,000 kilometers from the frontline. Russian air defenses reported intercepting 185 Ukrainian drones in a single 12-hour period, with strikes across a dozen regions. Putin dismissed the campaign as an attempt to sow confusion, though he conceded it has caused economic harm.
Diplomatically, the same day brought another milestone: ambassadors from all 27 EU member states agreed to advance membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova, with negotiations set to begin Monday. For Zelenskyy, EU accession has become a strategic anchor — a way to bind Ukraine's future to Europe and ensure the West remains committed for the long term. Taken together, the wage increases, foreign recruitment, deepening strikes, and EU progress paint a portrait of a country preparing not for a near-term end to the war, but for years more of it.
Four years into a grinding war with Russia, Ukraine is running out of soldiers. On Friday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a sweeping overhaul of military compensation and recruitment designed to stanch the bleeding: frontline infantry will see their monthly pay nearly triple to around $7,000, up from the current $1,400 to $2,100. The government will also offer new fixed-term contracts—10, 14, or 24 months—giving soldiers a defined endpoint rather than open-ended conscription. The basic military wage will rise by a third to 30,000 hryvnias, roughly $700, bringing it closer to Ukraine's civilian average salary, which has climbed steadily as the war has drained the workforce.
These moves are now possible because Ukraine has secured a €90 billion loan from the European Union, unlocking record defense spending of 4.4 trillion hryvnias—about $97 billion—for the year. The first payments are expected to begin flowing this month. Zelenskyy framed the wage increases as part of a broader "transformation of the Ukrainian army," one that acknowledges a hard reality: the country cannot sustain its military through conscription alone. "We agreed on how to increase the financial resilience of our defence," he said after meeting with cabinet ministers. The government will need to approve the specific payment mechanisms, but the direction is set.
Beyond raising wages at home, Kyiv is also casting a wider net abroad. Zelenskyy announced plans to expand recruitment of foreign volunteers, creating "significantly more opportunities" and new channels for foreigners to join the Ukrainian armed forces. Since the war began, roughly 10,000 foreign fighters from more than 70 countries have enlisted, according to estimates by Ukrainian military publications. The new push suggests that number could grow substantially. For a country facing a manpower crisis, foreign volunteers represent both a practical solution and a symbolic statement—that Ukraine's fight is not just its own.
The wage increases and recruitment drive come as Ukraine is simultaneously escalating its military pressure on Russia through drone strikes that penetrate deeper into Russian territory than ever before. On Friday, Kyiv struck a major oil refinery more than 1,000 kilometers from the frontline, part of a sustained campaign targeting Russian energy infrastructure. Vladimir Putin responded by dismissing the strikes as an attempt to "sow confusion" and damage Russia's economy, though he acknowledged they have caused economic harm. He claimed, without evidence, that "everything is quickly restored." Russian air defense units reported intercepting 185 Ukrainian drones over a 12-hour period on Friday alone, with strikes reported across a dozen regions, mostly in central Russia. The governor of Bryansk, a border region, said one person was killed and another injured in a drone strike.
On the diplomatic front, Ukraine secured another significant win. Ambassadors from all 27 EU member states agreed on Friday to advance membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova, with negotiations set to begin Monday. For Zelenskyy, EU membership has become a cornerstone of his strategic vision—a way to bind Ukraine's future to Europe and ensure sustained Western support. He thanked EU leaders "for this strong step for Europe," adding that Ukraine is doing what is necessary and expects the EU to keep its word. The combination of wage increases, foreign recruitment, deepening drone strikes, and advancing EU talks suggests a Ukraine that is simultaneously trying to sustain its military, escalate pressure on Russia, and lock in long-term Western commitment. Whether the wages and contracts will be enough to reverse the manpower shortage remains uncertain—but the scale of the financial commitment signals that Kyiv believes the war will continue for years.
Notable Quotes
We agreed on how to increase the financial resilience of our defence and further transformation of the Ukrainian army.— Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Their goal is to create a split in Russian society, sow confusion and inflict economic damage. But they will not succeed.— Vladimir Putin
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why now? Ukraine has been at war for four years. What changed that forced this move?
The manpower crisis became unsustainable. Conscription alone can't fill the gaps anymore. The EU loan gave them the money to do what they couldn't before—actually pay soldiers enough to compete with civilian work.
Three times the salary is a lot. Where does that leave the rest of the budget?
Defense spending is now 4.4 trillion hryvnias for the year—nearly a quarter of the entire state budget. The EU money makes it possible, but it's a bet that the war continues and that Europe keeps backing them.
What about the foreign volunteers? Are they reliable?
Ten thousand have come already from 70 countries. They're motivated differently than conscripts—they chose to be there. But integrating them, managing language barriers, unit cohesion—that's complex. Zelenskyy wants more, but quality matters as much as numbers.
The drone strikes are getting bolder. Is that connected to the wage increases?
Not directly, but they're part of the same calculation. Ukraine is trying to hurt Russia's economy while rebuilding its own military capacity. The strikes buy time and create pressure. The wages keep soldiers in the fight.
Putin says the damage is quickly repaired. Is he lying?
Probably exaggerating. Oil refineries take time to rebuild. But he's right that Russia has redundancy and can shift production. It's a war of attrition on both sides now—economic and human.