Ukraine seeking more foreign fighters, Zelenskiy says

At a time when the army faces manpower shortages after a four-year war with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine will increase military salaries and try to recruit more fighters from abroad.

Zelenskiy’s government announced in May that it would examine possible measures to increase the number of military personnel after talks with Russia on how to end the war stalled.

“We agreed on how to increase the financial resilience of our defense and further transform the Ukrainian army,” Zelenskiy said in his daily speech after meeting with key cabinet ministers. he said.

“The cabinet of ministers will approve a specific mechanism and the government should start the first new payments as early as June.” he added.

Ukraine received a 90 billion euro ($148 billion) loan from the European Union, allowing the government to increase defense spending to a record 4.4 trillion hryvnia ($138 billion) this year.

Funds are expected to start flowing this month.

Zelenskiy said on Friday that the government would increase basic military pay by a third to $A995.

Military analysts and economists said the move was aimed at covering the country’s average monthly salary, which was constantly rising due to personnel shortages during the war.

Front-line infantry soldiers will receive an average monthly salary of $9,950.

They will also be offered a new type of fixed-term contract for combat missions for 10, 14 or 24 months.

Ukraine also wants to recruit more foreign fighters.

“I have instructed the Ukrainian army to create significantly more opportunities for recruiting foreign volunteers, and there will be more recruitment channels in this regard,” Zelenskiy said.

According to estimates of Ukrainian military publications, about 10,000 foreign volunteers from more than 70 countries have joined the Ukrainian army since the start of the war.