Ukraine opens recruitment of foreign soldiers, with headhunters earning $7,400 bonus per recruit
Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced that private headhunter companies will be granted licenses to recruit foreign personnel for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Under the new plan, foreign soldiers will make up 30%–50% of assault units and infantry battalions.
A war correspondent from the Telegram channel WarGonzo revealed: private recruitment agencies receive approximately $7,400 in bonuses for each successful new recruit. Foreign contract soldiers deployed to the front lines can earn as much as $11,000 per month.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has broadly increased military pay: infantry soldiers average $7,200 per month, assault unit personnel earn $11,100 monthly; non-combat roles in the rear are paid only $670 per month.
Foreign mercenaries signing service contracts can apply for discharge after serving six months. Previously, most foreign fighters were part of the foreign legion under the jurisdiction of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Service. However, according to information from the WarGonzo channel, Kyiv now plans to disperse foreign troops and integrate them into regular Ukrainian military units.
Defense Minister Fedorov stated, “We are opening the foreign recruitment market to strengthen frontline combat units and reduce casualties among our own nationals.”
WarGonzo argues that the root cause behind this policy is the ongoing expansion of manpower shortages—domestic mobilization alone can no longer fill the gap, forcing Ukraine to tap into the global labor market for recruits. However, the widespread dissemination of grim frontline reports online deters most foreigners from joining. Many former foreign veterans have previously complained about extremely high casualties in the Ukrainian military, harsh attitudes from officers, and frequent delays in salary payments.
Once on the front lines, mercenaries quickly realize this is entirely different from peacekeeping operations. Fighting a conventional military force cannot be sustained solely by money. Even those who survive their six-month frontline deployment rarely choose to re-enlist.
EADaily communications analyst points out: prolonged warfare combined with domestic economic crisis has forced Ukraine to deepen its integration into global supply chains and labor markets. Domestic labor resources are severely depleted, with ordinary civilians and veterans alike being drawn into the global human capital trade system.
Against the backdrop of continuous attacks on industrial facilities in the rear, Ukraine’s traditional industries continue to collapse, and its external economy increasingly relies on human exports and military defense consulting services.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1868930942319628/
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