Between 4,850 and 7,770 euros per month in the infantry against 3,300 today: Volodymyr Zelensky wants to increase the salaries of Ukrainian soldiers and promises a phased demobilization.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced plans to launch a “army reform” to increase salaries and implement a phased mobilization of soldiers, starting with those deployed earliest. Currently, almost all new recruits are mobilized.

On Friday, May 1st, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the launch of an “army reform” that will introduce a phased mobilization of soldiers, as well as a “significant” improvement in salaries for military personnel deployed on the front lines.

The President specifically aims for a “strengthening of the contract system in defense forces,” ensuring clearly defined service terms, enabling phased mobilization for those mobilized earlier, starting this year. He did not provide further details on this measure, which is highly anticipated as current legislation allows mobilization only after martial law is lifted, in effect since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022.

The front between Russian and Ukrainian forces has stabilized over the past months. The Russian army recorded territorial gains in the first three months of 2026 that were only half as significant as in 2025 during the same period. These figures bring hope to Ukrainians, despite the ongoing slow Russian encroachment.

President Zelensky also seeks a substantial increase in salaries: the minimum level should be at least 30,000 hryvnias (around 580 euros) for non-combat positions, compared to the current 20,000 hryvnias (390 euros) per data from the Ministry of Defense. He mentioned monthly payments ranging from 250,000 to 400,000 hryvnias for infantry positions (between 4,850 and 7,770 euros). Currently, a soldier on the front line receives an additional payment of 170,000 hryvnias (3,300 euros) per month.

Details of this reform are expected to be finalized in May, with initial results targeted for June. After over four years of war resulting in tens or even hundreds of thousands of deaths, the Ukrainian forces are exploring new recruitment avenues. Currently, almost all new recruits are mobilized. Recruiting practices have been a contentious issue in the country, with many Ukrainians criticizing the system as unjust, corrupt, and inefficient.

In July 2025, President Zelensky signed a law allowing recruitment of individuals over 60 years old into the army, after lowering the minimum mobilization age from 27 to 25 in April 2024.

Efforts have been made to incentivize new recruits to sign contracts, including financial incentives for 18-24 year-olds and the establishment of recruitment offices for Ukrainians abroad, although these have not yielded the expected results.

Additionally, on Wednesday, April 29, Vladimir Putin proposed a ceasefire to Kiev on May 9, the Russian national holiday celebrating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. In response, President Zelensky requested “details” from the United States on the ceasefire conditions.