[84754] Significant Reform in Military Service in Ukraine: High Salaries and New Contract Model

Ukraine Launches Comprehensive Military Service Reform

The Ukrainian government approved Resolution No. 768 this week, which represents the first phase of the "greatest transformation of military service in the country's history," as reported by СУСПІЛЬНЕ НОВИНИ. The reform, defined as a two-year pilot project, is intended to make service "more predictable and understandable" through a new contract system and generous financial incentives, stated Minister of Defense Михайло Федоров.

New Salary and Bonus Structure

According to information published in Times of Ukraine and Україна Online, the maximum salary for a soldier can reach 460,000 hryvnias per month, depending on location and operational activity:

• Participation in battles: An additional payment of up to 100,000 hryvnias.


• First frontline: 170,000 hryvnias.


• Second frontline: 70,000 hryvnias.


• Special missions: 20,000 hryvnias per day for recapturing positions, and 40,000 hryvnias for capturing enemy positions.


• Special incentives: Тарас Григорович notes that 100,000 hryvnias are allocated for every Russian soldier taken prisoner, and 15,000 hryvnias for the proven elimination of an enemy in hand-to-hand combat.

Changes to the Contract Model

Alongside financial benefits, Радіо Свобода highlights the introduction of three new types of contracts (assault infantry, combat, and basic), which offer pre-defined periods of service (between 10 and 24 months) and options to defer service after the contract expires. Conversely, Deputy Minister of Defense Mstyslav Banik clarified that a soldier who refuses to sign a new contract will continue to serve under the existing conditions until demobilization is announced.

Economic Snapshot

While the government presents the reform, Бізнес Цензор reports that Russia is investing record sums in the war – approximately $900 million per day. On the other hand, the Податкова служба notes that Ukraine's revenue from the "defense tax" increased by 25.5% in the period between January and May 2026, which allows for the funding of the increase in defense expenditures, as explained by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.