Editor's Note: This is a developing story. President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced significant changes to the current system of compensation for Ukrainian soldiers, including higher pay, more combat bonuses and fixed contracts for infantry, as well as a fresh drive to recruit foreign fighters.The changes come amid Ukraine's chronic manpower crisis, with many personnel exhausted after years of full-scale war without a path for demobilization and discharge, while newly-mobilized soldiers tend to be increasingly unmotivated, especially in the infantry.The decisions were run by Ukraine's top military leadership after meetings with Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, and Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko, Zelensky wrote on social media on June 12. Under the new reforms, non-combat roles will now receive a minimum base pay of Hr 30,000 ($670), up from Hr 20,000 ($335).Ukrainian infantrymen — who often spend several months on positions due to a lack of replenishments and the difficulty of rotation — will receive Hr 300,000 ($6,700) for a month spent on the zero line, Zelensky said.Illustrative image: Zelensky holds a call with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Jan. 29, 2024. (Volodymyr Zelensky / X)In the current system, those in combat roles receive combat pay of up to Hr 100,000 ($2,234), with additional benefits available depending on the circumstances. The dramatic pay raise comes after Fedorov announced planned changes in spring for infantry and assault soldiers, whose jobs are widely seen as the most grueling and dangerous in the Ukrainian military. "Everything rests on the Ukrainian infantry, on our Ukrainian infantry," Zelensky said.In a major change that has been sought after for years by Ukrainian soldiers and society as a whole, fixed contracts will also be introduced for infantry and assault personnel. Upon the completion of these contracts, individuals will be exempt from mobilization for a set amount of time.Pay rises will also be brought in for higher-ranked commanders, in an effort to create a "positive stimulus for maintaining effective command," the president added.Zelensky also announced reforms to the current system of transfer between units, which has long been a pain point for soldiers stuck in poorly-run brigades, and often leads to soldiers going AWOL for the purpose of transferring to a more desirable unit.Ukrainian infantrymen rotating out from positions near the city of Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, on May 19, 2026. (Francis Farrell / The Kyiv Independent)To guarantee the sustainability of Ukraine's military, even after a potential ceasefire deal with Russia, Zelensky has on multiple occasions pushed for a transition to an army of volunteer contract soldiers receiving first-rate compensation. In 2025, an attempt to attract young Ukrainians aged 18-24 into combat infantry roles with generous compensation and fixed terms of service fell flat — until it was expanded to the country's most elite drone units.As part of a new drive to fill Ukraine's ranks from outside, the president ordered the creation of "significantly more opportunities to recruit foreign volunteers into the Ukrainian army."Foreign fighters, especially those from Latin America, continue to play an increasing role in the Ukrainian army, often carrying out the very same unenviable infantry and assault missions.