The issue of mobilization and the shortage of personnel in Ukraine has reached critical proportions, prompting the Ministry of Defense to seek new approaches to replenish the ranks of the Armed Forces and to strengthen accountability for evasion of service and unauthorized absence from units.
This is reported by Finway
Israel’s Experience: Universal Service and Job Preservation
Ukrainian Armed Forces officer, volunteer, and military blogger Myroslav Hai believes that Ukraine should look to countries with prolonged military conflicts, particularly Israel. In his opinion, all citizens, regardless of gender or religion, should be involved in service, and mobilized individuals should retain their jobs.
“Everyone should serve, regardless of gender and religious beliefs. Then our entire country, like in Israel, will be a common military reserve”
According to the officer, it is important for each reservist to be assigned a position, specialty, and unit in which they must regularly undergo retraining within specified timeframes. This will help address rotation issues and enhance the overall level of military preparedness.
Motivation, Foreigners in the Armed Forces, and Future Reforms
Hai also points out the enemy’s approach, which actively stimulates mobilization through significant financial incentives—up to $50,000 for the first contract. He emphasized the need to develop mechanisms in collaboration with partners from the EU and the USA that would encourage Ukrainians to sign contracts.
Another option for replenishing the Armed Forces is to involve foreigners in contract service. According to the officer, nearly every brigade already has foreigners serving, who often become an integral part of the units and demonstrate loyalty even amidst challenging service conditions.
Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov held a closed meeting with representatives from 13 units of the Armed Forces, where future army reforms were discussed. According to him, the changes will cover three key areas: mobilization, issues of unauthorized absence from units, and approaches to training assault troops and infantry, particularly regarding service terms and payments. Details of the decisions have not yet been disclosed.
People’s Deputy and member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security Fedir Venislavskyi raised the issue of fairness in mobilization, pointing out that residents of rural areas are mobilized the most, while the situation is different in cities.
In December 2025, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces General Oleksandr Syrskyi shared his vision for overcoming the problem of mass unauthorized absence from units among military personnel.