Ukraine will introduce a system of special contracts for citizens aged between 18 and 24 who are not subject to mobilization but want to serve in the army, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told Reuters. The program will be launched next week, he said, and was developed by the Defense Ministry and “experienced combat brigades” that are renowned for their “low rate of personnel losses.” The contract will be for a year and include various benefits. Details will be made public in the coming days.
Among the preferences, Zelenskyy listed high allowances, free housing loan and education at the expense of the state. “This is not mobilization, this is a contract offer … for those who believe that he is strong, who wants to defend Ukraine,” the head of state stressed. He added that the effectiveness of the new system will be evaluated in two to three months. The US, back under Joe Biden, urged Kyiv to lower the mobilization age from 25 to 18 because of the shortage of personnel on the front line. The team of the new President Donald Trump continued to insist on this. Thus, his national security adviser Michael Waltz said that Ukraine must stop the advance of the Russian army and strengthen its position ahead of the negotiations, which cannot be achieved without replenishing the army. In November, the Verkhovna Rada’s defense committee estimated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces needed 500,000 recruits.
