The Office of the President of Ukraine and the Ministry of Defense announced the long-awaited reform of the army in mid-June. In the future, there should be many more foreigners working in it than before, writes Focus.
Assault and infantry units should consist of 30 to 50 percent foreign recruits. Defense Minister Mykhailo Fyodorov wrote on the Telegram social network that “we will open the recruitment of foreigners” to strengthen combat units and save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers.
After more than four years of war, Ukraine currently has a long-term shortage of soldiers. Nevertheless, soldiers who have been at the front for a particularly long time will gradually be released from military service by the end of this year.
Ukrainian army attracts future forces abroad for high salaries. A foreigner should receive an average of 300,000 hryvnias (150,500 crowns) per month, writes the Norwegian news portal ABC. A foreigner who signs the contract and should be assigned to particularly dangerous positions, for example, where it is necessary to break lines, should receive 460 thousand hryvnias (233 thousand crowns).
Before being deployed in the army, foreign recruits should go through a language course, have a security clearance, military training, their transport and accommodation must be resolved, as well as placement in suitable units.
Kyiv relies on private companies for recruitment. Licensed recruiters receive the equivalent of approximately 6,200 euros (150,500 crowns) for each foreign recruit, Fedorov told the Ukrainian news portal “Ukrainska Pravda”. He described it as a “proven mechanism”. In Ukraine, there are already several agencies that recruit foreigners. These agencies “brought thousands of them”.
It is not clear from the information provided whether the companies in question are exclusively Ukrainian, or whether they also include providers based abroad.
