Ukraine to introduce new military contracts to volunteers under draft age amid manpower shortage

Ukraine’s government is set to introduce a new recruitment initiative offering enhanced benefits and compensation to volunteers aged 18-24, who are currently below draft age, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview to Reuters.

The program, which launches next week, aims to address military personnel shortages through voluntary one-year contracts rather than mandatory mobilization.

“This is for those who want to join up, it is not a mobilisation. There is a special contract, there will be many benefits … there is also a very high monetary provision. Details will be made public soon, in the coming days,” Zelenskyy told Reuters.

Weariness from nearly three years of war deepens among Ukrainians, contributing to a growing reluctance to join the fight. Issues such as corruption and aggression on the part of Territorial Recruitment Centers have also contributed to the difficulties in mobilization.

The US is urging Ukraine to lower its draft age from 25 to 18 to bolster its military forces. However, some Ukrainian officials perceive this as an attempt to remove responsibility for providing promised military assistance. There are also concerns that this could have severe long-term demographic consequences for the country.

President Zelenskyy, however, consistently emphasized that weapons and equipment remain the primary concern for the Ukrainian army.

He noted that Ukraine had received only 10% of the allocated aid and stated that “Ukraine cannot be expected to compensate for delays in logistics or hesitation in support with the youth of our men on the front line.”

Ukraine’s former Commander-in-Chief and current Ambassador to the United Kingdom Valerii Zaluzhnyi expressed his opposition to conscripting individuals aged 18 to 25, despite the country’s ongoing shortage of soldiers.

He emphasized the importance of preserving this age group for Ukraine’s future and advocated for their mobilization only as a last resort. Zaluzhnyi noted that while older military personnel often exhibit a post-Soviet mindset, younger individuals approach challenges differently.

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