A million for service—how many people will be called up and where will the funds come from?

Novini.LIVE investigated how many recruits are needed to change the situation on the battlefield, as well as the funding required and where it will be sourced. 

"To change the situation at the front, 100,000 people are needed"

In the mobile app Reserve+, there have been over 10,000 inquiries regarding the signing of a voluntary one-year contract in the Armed Forces of Ukraine for youth aged 18-24. This was recently announced by the Ministry of Defense. 

The exact number of fighters planned to be recruited under the new contracts has not been disclosed by the department. However, it is known that the first phase aims to form six new brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). 

According to Ukrainian military expert, retired Colonel of the General Staff of the AFU Oleg Zhdanov, depending on the type (motorized infantry, assault, etc.), an average brigade consists of 3,500 to 5,000 people.

"Individual brigades can consist of 7,000 to 8,000 people. On average, 3,500 to 5,000. So, 10 brigades would be about 40,000 to 45,000 people", Zhdanov told us. 

At the same time, he views the initiative positively but notes that the motivation could be higher.

"The proposal is not bad. But, in my opinion, it’s a bit weak. A more generous offer could have been made, especially considering that they are trying to attract the best age group", Zhdanov stated. According to him, when comparing with other countries, in the USA, participation in combat operations pays at least twice as much. Our enemy’s motivation starts at 250,000 to 400,000 rubles or from 2,500 to 4,000 dollars at the current exchange rate. 

He estimates that to change the situation on the battlefield, Ukraine needs to recruit around 100,000 new servicemen. 

"Up to 100,000 people could impact the situation at the front. With a reserve of up to 100,000 people, rotation on the battlefield can be organized. But, again, there are many questions for the military leadership. If we believe the president, who says we have an army of 1 million people, and 150,000 are fighting on the 'zero', then where is the rotation?! A year has passed. In this situation, naming a specific figure is like shooting in the dark. A review of personnel is needed," Zhdanov told Novini.LIVE.

How much money is needed?

As member of the committee on national security, defense, and intelligence Fedor Venislavsky stated to Novini.LIVE, discussing specific figures at this point is rather conditional.

"For example, last year, under general conditions, without any motivational incentives, several thousand people aged 18 to 24 expressed a desire to join the defense forces. This year, considering motivational packages, the dynamics might be quite good," Venislavsky informed us. 

At the same time, if we consider the six brigades mentioned by the Ministry of Defense, this amounts to approximately 20,000 people, or about 20 billion UAH additionally. 

Venislavsky assured Novini.LIVE that funds for military compensation are included in the budget. If there is a shortfall, lawmakers will make the necessary budget adjustments manually. 

"It is important to note that if the same number of people were mobilized, they would also receive payments from the budget. Funds for these purposes are already allocated in the budget. If we see that they are insufficient, the Verkhovna Rada will make amendments at the Government's request to address the shortfall,” Venislavsky said to Novini.LIVE. 

It is worth remembering that, according to agreements with our international partners, funds coming to Ukraine from abroad can only be used for non-military needs. Meanwhile, all expenses for army financing are covered solely by domestic revenues.

As previously reported by Novini.LIVE, on February 11, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine published a resolution dated February 11, 2025, No. 153, which defines the conditions of an experimental project for contracts for those aged 18-25. This resolution aims to increase motivation for serving in the AFU among certain categories of citizens, specifically youth who are not yet subject to mobilization.

We also reported on how the military reacted to this initiative.