Ukraine Manpower Improves With Better Leadership, Training, Pay

Ukraine's manpower shortage compared to Russia's much larger population has begun to improve in the last year. Much of that success is due to management and intelligence which helped the military embrace the reality of their situation and encouraged building on what the Ukrainians do well - and what works. 

Among these improvements include the promotion of younger, battle-tested commanders, many of whom were not professional soldiers and who volunteered when Russian invaded. Many of them served initially in self-funded and organized volunteer units whose bravery and success have led them to integrated into the regular army. Another change has been better training, with a focus on survivability and mission accomplishment. And thirdly, the Ukrainians have embraced technology, learning, as the US and British in WWII, that substituting equipment and technology for lives made the most strategic sense. JL

Decimus reports in Daily Kos:

The current top young Ukrainian field commanders mostly joined the war as volunteer leaders in ad hoc self-funded (units such as) the “Azov Battalion," the “Carpathian Sich”, “Magyar’s Birds”, "Da Vinci Wolves," and, “Skala Battalion" are now fully integrated into the formal army. Issues regarding manpower are slowly getting better as increasing number of Ukrainians residing overseas and foreign volunteers sign up thanks to better pay and training.

“Ukrainians abroad won’t come back home to fight.”  It is a fairly common trope in the popular media, often mentioned side by side with the problems of Ukrainian men of fighting age trying to illegally get out of the country or going AWOL once confronted with the vagaries of actual combat.

But UKRAINE has not met a problem it will not assiduously work to ameliorate.  It is not a simple matter of people not wanting to fight.  It has become increasingly clear that Ukrainians wish to fight for their beloved Ukraina but nobody wants to be suddenly deracinated, leave their family and well-established life abroad to be hauled off to fight in an intense high casualty war for which they have not been properly trained, prepared and equipped.

It is always worth noting that the Ukraine of 2014 was not a country that was prepared for the type of war Russia sprung on it beginning with the Crimean invasion.  The Ukrainian army, riven with corruption, undermanned and hobbled by all that we now see as the failings of the Russian system did not have the means or the wherewithal to quickly ramp up training or equipment for a large army.  One only has to look at the current corps of top young Ukrainian field commanders who mostly joined the battle as volunteer leaders in ad hoc self-funded battalions and regiments.  Evidence  “Azov Battalion”, “Aidar Battalion”, “Carpathian Sich”, “Donbas Battalion”, “Magyar’s Birds”, “Lazar’s Group”,  "Da Vinci Wolves” under “Right Sector”, “Skala Battalion”, etc., etc.,. All now fully integrated into the formal army:

Initially, the volunteer battalions had to fight with what they had on hand. Uniforms were usually donated collections of mismatched camouflage patterns from different militaries around the world. The weapons used by battalions were as varied as the uniforms. Dnipro 1 was initially handed a collection of 300 AK-74 rifles, 30 M-16s, and crew-served weapons of different types and calibers. Donbas initially made do with old sniper rifles, hunting rifles, pistols, and some rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). When the battalions were being formed, the question of arming them from government stores became a heated struggle between the Interior Ministry (in favor) and the Minister of Defense (opposed the idea). Many battalions went into battle ill-equipped against Russian-backed separatists in terms of ammunition and weapons. The Azov Battalion worked out a barter system with Ukrainian border guards and received weapons and ammunition through those channels, but other units like Shakhtarsk initially had no weapons with which to arm their fighters. In a reversal of the story portrayed by Russian propaganda, which stated that separatists were using captured Ukrainian equipment, some battalions such as Aidar and Azov ended up using captured Russian armored vehicles and tanks in their operations. With time and as more volunteer battalions were adopted by Ukrainian government ministries, arms and equipment began to arrive to the battalions.

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To counter the recruitment and retention crisis, Ukraine has implemented multiple reforms:

Expanding recruitment to include men aged 18–25, offering sign-up bonuses of up to 120,000 hryvnia ($2,900) monthly. 

Introducing digital tools like the Army+ app to streamline enlistment and allow soldiers to choose their units. 

Reforming conscription, including reducing exemptions and improving training, while cracking down on draft evasion. 

Recruiting foreign fighters through the International Legion and plans to increase foreign mercenary use, as announced by Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov in March 2026. 

 

 

Additionally, Ukraine with the help of NATO (paid for by Norway) established one of the largest and most modern army training camps, just inside the border with Poland called Camp Jamsborg, to train both new recruits and offer specialized training to some of the already enlisted.  The training is conducted by NATO instructors, with infrastructure, equipment, and weapons provided by Poland, while Ukraine supplies uniforms and medical supplies. 

While the issues regarding manpower have not completely gone away and remain troubling, it is slowly getting better as evidenced by increasing number of Ukrainians residing overseas signing up:

Ukrainian Legion volunteers from Poland and Norway have recently signed contracts with the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in Lublin, marking a key step in the formation of a new military unit composed of Ukrainians living abroad. 

• The eighth group of volunteers, including individuals from Poland and Norway, signed contracts on March 20, 2026, with training scheduled to begin next Tuesday at a military base near Lublin. 

• These volunteers, aged 18 to 45, are preparing for roles as artillerymen or riflemen and may pursue long-term military careers, including officer training. 

• The Ukrainian Legion is part of a bilateral security agreement between Ukraine and Poland, formalized in July 2024, and is supported by NATO allies. 

• Over several thousand Ukrainians in Poland have registered interest, and recruitment is expanding to include Ukrainians from Germany and other EU countries. 

• More here:

The Ukrainian Legion has been replenished with new volunteers from Poland and Norway

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And here:

Ukrainian Legion volunteers abroad sign up for AFU in Lublin

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The effort to recruit more non-Ukrainians from overseas also continues apace:

The Ukrainian government has simplified procedures to make enlistment easier, including covering travel costs for incoming volunteers and streamlining temporary residence permits.  Recruitment campaigns are now focused on countries in the global south, particularly Latin America and South Asia, offering incentives such as frontline salaries of up to $3,000 per month—a significant increase over average wages in poorer regions.  Despite challenges like Russian intelligence infiltration and adaptation issues, Ukraine continues to attract foreign fighters from over 75 countries, with notable numbers from Colombia and other nations.

 Ukraine Expands Recruitment of Foreign Volunteers – The Economist

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