Ukraine pays more to foreign fighters—staying is the test

Ukraine foreign – Ukraine’s defense ministry is rolling out higher pay and longer fixed-term contracts for foreign volunteers in infantry and assault roles, aiming to fill some of the most brutal gaps on the front line. But soldiers and foreign fighters say the real hurdle isn’

For many foreign fighters in Ukraine. the math has been brutal and simple: sign for six months. reach the front after training. and then—often—move on. In the space between joining and leaving. Ukraine can invest time and money to bring recruits in. only to watch them disappear soon after they’re ready for combat.

That’s the pressure now shaping Kyiv’s latest manpower push. Ukraine is offering higher pay and longer fixed-term contracts for foreign volunteers to fill dangerous front-line infantry and assault roles. Officials say the change is meant to address one of Ukraine’s biggest manpower problems. But those on the ground say success will hinge on a harder question: whether Ukraine can persuade recruits to stay longer rather than leaving right after that six-month minimum.

Ukraine announced an overhaul of military compensation last month. laying out an ambitious plan for higher pay. more combat bonuses. and longer fixed-term contracts. The combat pay plan includes new contracts of six to 14 months for infantry and assault troops. Service members would be eligible for an average monthly pay of UAH 300. 000 (nearly $7. 000) and a maximum of UAH 460. 000 (over $10. 000). depending on the number of days at the front lines.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s defense minister, called the scheme the “highest salaries in the world for infantry,” describing the front-line roles as the “most difficult and risky job” right now. He said the goal is to fill 30-50% of these positions with foreigners.

For the fighters doing those jobs, the stakes are not abstract. Front-line positions are often described as “kill zones. ” and drones make it hard not only to survive but even to get there in the first place. Pay can pull people in, especially once the war stretches long enough that idealism doesn’t carry everyone.

“We see now that a large number of foreigners are coming to Ukraine to fight, because today’s salary is already attracting them,” Fedorov said last month. “If we’re talking about an increase, then this will attract even more foreigners, and then they will be able to strengthen our front line.”

The promise is clear on paper. The retention problem is where the plan meets reality.

Ryan O’Leary, the company commander of Chosen, a volunteer unit in Ukraine, said higher pay and longer contracts could help if Ukraine can get fighters to stay for a year or more. But he also described the system’s history as a revolving door.

“More guys will come for the money, obviously,” O’Leary said. “However, he said it won’t automatically fix the country’s manpower issues because Kyiv still has a ‘revolving door’ of foreigners leaving after short contracts.”

He argued that longer contract options matter because a short six-month contract can run out just as a recruit becomes combat-ready. “By the time a recruit finishes basic training and reaches a combat unit. a short six-month contract may have only a few weeks remaining for front-line operations. ” O’Leary said. That makes retention the point where Ukraine must show it can convert the investment of recruitment into something that lasts.

O’Leary said the revolving door is a “negative for Ukraine” and that the country should prioritize retention alongside recruitment. He added that deeper issues can push foreign fighters to leave after six months—such as limited access to Ukraine’s digital military systems and fewer day-to-day benefits. Fixing those problems, he said, might matter more to retention than higher pay.

“They’ve already fixed the permanent residency and the citizenship stuff,” O’Leary said, “so I think that’s one movement forward,” before saying Kyiv now needs “to work on just leveling the playing field for foreigners so it seems like we’re on the same page as the Ukrainians.”

The defense ministry did not comment on these efforts, saying it isn’t currently in a position to comment.

Foreign fighters themselves described the changing recruiting landscape. One fighter. Kante. who asked to be identified by his call sign for security reasons. said the war has shifted from drawing volunteers driven by ideological or political motivations—duty to protect a nation attacked by a much larger neighbor—to a situation where financial reasons now play a bigger role.

“Kante said that there are fewer ‘motivated foreign fighters,’ adding that many of these volunteers have been killed in combat or left, and Ukraine must now fill those vacancies,” and that volunteers are increasingly joining for financial reasons.

“If you want guys, you need to pay,” he said.

Kante said pay needs to be competitive with what experienced fighters can earn in other conflicts, citing a former South American officer familiar with battling rebels weighing a contract in a place like Sudan.

Ukrainian military personnel view the new contracts as a positive direction for Kyiv, but several also framed the move as a gap-filler rather than a full solution.

Yuriy. an officer in an electronic warfare unit who could only be identified by his first name. said the push for foreign fighters is “one of the best solutions” to address manpower challenges. Alex. a sergeant in Ukraine’s 412th “Nemesis” Unmanned Systems Brigade who could only be identified by his first name for security reasons. said he believes the effort is about filling the gaps: “I think it’s just a solution to fill the gaps.” Alex added that Ukrainians who were “brave enough” had already joined earlier in the war and are either exhausted or hurt. and that newly mobilized personnel may not be as willing to risk their lives.

Charlie. a US military veteran and current candidate for Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps. said the new contracts and payments are “positive steps” from Kyiv toward incentivizing foreign fighters to stay longer. He described it as understanding that Ukraine has a foreign demographic coming into the country and “bolstering their military. ” while incentivizing people to stay beyond minimum service: incentivize people to come — incentivize people to stay — not just to do minimum six months and leave.

Charlie said longer contracts might be most appealing to foreign fighters seeking combat experience that they won’t find on any other battlefield. “If you look at the world right now,” he said, “the best place to get that experience is in Ukraine as a foreigner.”

Ukraine’s push is unfolding against a grinding attritional manpower problem more than four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion. Infantry and assault troops are among the most battered forces on the battlefield, and Ukraine has struggled to keep front-line units staffed as the war has dragged on.

The core bet in Kyiv’s compensation overhaul is that higher payouts and clearer fixed-term options can both bring in more foreign fighters and keep them in place long enough to matter. But foreign fighters themselves described sustaining the current force as a priority.

O’Leary said many foreign fighters sign a six-month contract and then either return home or move to another unit, leaving Ukraine with little to show for the investment.

The tension running through every account—Ukrainian officials, commanders, and foreign volunteers—is the same. Ukraine can raise pay and promise longer terms. The hard part is making those promises land in real life. for people who know how quickly six months can turn into a front-line few weeks. and then into departure.

Ukraine foreign fighters pay contracts infantry assault manpower retention revolving door Fedorov UAH 300 000 UAH 460 000 Chosen Kante Yuriy Alex Charlie 412th Nemesis electronic warfare