In Ukraine, a one-year contract has been officially launched for boys aged 18-24 who are currently not subject to mobilization.
This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
They once again emphasized that this is not mobilization or obligation, the main emphasis of this contract is voluntariness.
For the contract, you can receive one million hryvnias — 200 thousand immediately after signing, and the rest will be paid in two installments during service. The Ministry of Defense emphasized that such volunteers will be guaranteed demobilization after a year of service.
Volunteers will be guaranteed a monthly financial allowance of up to 120 thousand hryvnias. There will also be additional payments for combat missions. The Ministry of Defense noted that in total, it will be possible to earn up to 2 million hryvnias per year.
You can choose the unit, specialty, and location of the military service independently. And after the contract ends, the person will not be subject to mobilization for 12 months and will be able to travel abroad.
Volunteers will be provided with housing rental compensation for the duration of their service, and after its completion, they will have the opportunity to obtain a 0% mortgage under the “eHouse” program.
They will also have access to free university education within state quotas, free transportation and utility benefits, and medical care, including dentistry and dental prosthetics.
You can apply on the website 18-24.army.gov.ua or through the "Reserve+" application with the latest update.
What preceded
The United States has repeatedly spoken out about the need to lower the military draft age in Ukraine. For example, former US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan believed that there was no weapon that could change the course of the war. Instead, Ukraine needed to “increase the number of troops on the front lines” to strengthen its position.
Former US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also said that Ukraine must make "difficult decisions" regarding further mobilization.
Representatives of Donald Trumpʼs administration have also expressed a similar opinion. In particular, his national security adviser Mike Waltz said that the Trump administration would like to see "real stabilization of the front" and would therefore request that the draft age be lowered from 25 to 18.
The Office of the President of Ukraine responded that such appeals "make no sense" at a time when the previously announced aid is not arriving on time.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at the presentation of the Internal Resilience Plan, emphasized that there will be no reduction in the mobilization age in Ukraine.
For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine please follow us on X.