Promised discharge, but no trust: Why Ukraine’s new military contracts are struggling
Only 8,600 Ukrainians have signed the army’s new fixed-term contracts in four months.
Ukraine's new military contracts aimed at recruiting more soldiers have faced skepticism and low enrollment. Launched in June 2026, the experimental program offers infantry-assault contracts of 6-14 months and combat contracts of two years, with guaranteed discharge and deferral from re-mobilization. Despite the promise of a clear exit path, only around 8,600 soldiers have signed, significantly below the force of approximately one million.
Many soldiers doubt the state's commitment to honor their discharge, citing past promises of fixed service terms that have repeatedly been delayed. Additionally, veterans serving since 2022 can sign for the same terms as new recruits and receive the same deferral, which is criticized as too short to allow for civilian reintegration.
While pay increases have been announced, they have been uneven, with infantry and assault troops seeing the largest jumps, while drone operators and other specialists received no comparable raises. This disparity has added to the distrust and discontent among the ranks. The Defense Minister's office is now reviewing which aspects of the contract experiment to include in future reform legislation.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
