Ukraine plans army reform to raise pay and improve rotations
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 1
Ukraine plans army reform to raise pay and improve rotations
11 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 1
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said details would be finalised in May and first results delivered in June, with non-combat pay rising to at least 30,000 hryvnias.
Infantry contracts will range from 250,000 to 400,000 hryvnias, while Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said new contracts, staffing changes and transparent rotations would drive a systemic overhaul.
The changes aim to ease infantry shortages, lift morale and eventually allow phased discharge of long-serving troops as stalled US-mediated peace talks leave Kyiv preparing for a prolonged war.
With military spending at 40% of GDP, how sustainable is Ukraine’s commitment to high salaries and professionalization amid ongoing war and limited international aid?
Will transparent contracts and new rotation rules genuinely reduce desertions and public mistrust, or do deeper issues still threaten Ukraine’s military readiness?