The Ukrainian president wants to increase military salaries and promote demobilization of soldiers mobilized earlier

Current legislation only allows mobilization once martial law has been lifted, in effect since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022.

Popular measures. Ukraine launches a military reform that should introduce a phased mobilization and significantly higher salaries for soldiers engaged on the front line, announced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, May 1.

He particularly wants a “strengthening of the contract system in the defense forces”, so that “clearly defined service duration conditions are guaranteed and that – from this year onwards – phased mobilization becomes possible for those who were mobilized later.” He did not provide further details on this eagerly awaited measure, while current legislation only allows mobilization once martial law is lifted, in effect since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022.

The Ukrainian President also wants a significant increase in salaries: “the minimum level should be at least 30,000 hryvnias (around 580 euros) for non-combat positions” against the current 20,000 hryvnias (390 euros) according to Ministry of Defense data. “For combat positions, it should be several times higher,” he indicated, mentioning monthly payments “ranging between 250,000 and 400,000 hryvnias” in the infantry (between 4,850 and 7,770 euros). Currently, a soldier fighting on the front line for a month receives an additional payment of 170,000 hryvnias (3,300 euros).

The details of this reform are expected to be finalized in May “and the first results should be achieved in June,” said Volodymyr Zelensky.