As Ukraine Gains In War, It Reorganizes Army, To Become Best Paid, Best Led

In the midst of the most brutal combat since WWII, Ukraine has quietly reorganized its military to make it more effective. And the results are now becoming evident on the battlefield as the Russian offensives falter and Ukraine makes territorial gains while strangling the Kremlin's logistics.

The first major change was the growth of the drone units, which quite literally saved the country. Then, creating corps, under which brigades could be coordinated for better capability in identifying and seizing opportunities as well as defending against threats. Now, Ukraine is working to make its fighting arms - infantry, armor, artillery and unmanned systems - the most professional, best led, best paid and best equipped in the world. The country is acknowledging that it can never field as many troops as the Russians. But the soldiers they deploy will have the best intelligence and equipment and will be more motivated, respected - and more lethal than their opponents. JL

Phillips O'Brien reports in his substack:

Over the last few years the Ukrainians have decided to fight their war in their way—and in 2026 we can the the positive impact as they are no longer supplicants. Ukraine is (working) to attract and support excellence in its front-line combat forces through historically high pay, positive rewards, and fair treatment. The range of what they proposed was stunning (especially considering the way the Russians treat their soldiers who are fighting with the Ukrainians). They do not need mass as much as excellence, and want the best. The modern battle environment is dangerous and complex. There are only two ways to deal with it—you can massacre your own population by sending it into it, or you can rely on small numbers of excellent soldiers who have the best possible equipment, tech and C2 supporting them.

Watching the Ukrainians understand their own war and adjust to it (against much of the advice and pressure they have been receiving from the outside) has been one of the fascinating and positive aspects of this war. Back in 2022 and 2023, the Ukrainians were often put in the role of supplicants—being forced to plead for aid (much of which was denied) as they were told by Americans and Europeans how they should fight their war.

And of course listening to Americans and Europeans often led to mediocre results and unfulfilled objectives.

Over the last few years the Ukrainians have more and more decided to fight their war in their way—and in 2026 we can the the positive impact of this. During the last week President Zelensky and Defense Minister Fedorov announced a dramatic change in how Ukraine will recruit, support and even use its soldiers. Fedorov even released a very polished video about what they are hoping to achieve—which you can watch here.

In a nutshell, Ukraine is hoping to attract and support excellence in its front-line combat forces through historically high pay, positive rewards, and fair treatment. The range of what they proposed was stunning (especially considering the way the Russians treat their soldiers who are fighting with the Ukrainians). Here is a partial list of the many new policies that Zelensky and Fedorov put forward.

1. Major Increases in Soldier Pay—Particularly Combat Troops

The new compensation model heavily scales pay based on role, combat intensity, and proximity to the front lines, creating what officials state is a highly competitive global salary rate for infantry—arguably the highest pay for infantry to be found anywhere in the world from a nation.

• Frontline Infantry & Assault Troops: Average monthly compensation for soldiers operating on the “zero line” will rise significantly to an average of UAH 300,000 ($6,700), with maximum monthly pay capped at UAH 460,000 ($10,220).

• Daily Combat Bonuses: Under the new contract tiers, specific daily bonuses are allocated for direct engagements, ranging from UAH 10,000 per day for holding platoon strongpoints to on the front lines to UAH 40,000 per day for active assault operations involving forward advances.

• There were additional trophy and capture bounties announced and experienced officers will be incentivized to stay in service.

2. Introduction of Fixed-Term Contracts and Deferments

To address exhaustion and provide clarity on service duration, Ukraine is shifting away from indefinite wartime mobilization toward distinct, fixed-term contract paths. Some of these include.

• Infantry Assault Contracts: Fixed durations of 10 or 14 months. This is tailored specifically to the most dangerous frontline roles.

• Combat Service Contracts: A 24-month term designed for technical specialists, including UAV pilots, electronic warfare (EW) operators, medics, and artillery personnel. Monthly pay caps out at UAH 120,000 depending on combat proximity.

3. Revamped International Recruitment

The government is dramatically scaling up its efforts to attract foreign volunteers hoping to bring in experienced and committed soldiers from outside Ukraine. Fedorov stated that the long-term goal of this initiative is to eventually utilize foreign volunteers to fill 30% to 50% of the ranks within assault and infantry units.

4. Service Conditions, Transfers, and Tech Integration

The package introduces bureaucratic updates to improve soldier quality of life while holding under-performing units and officers accountable. These steps include:

• Automated Unit Transfers: To bypass command issues, soldiers will be allowed to request a transfer to a different unit once a year.

• Digital “Mission Control” Verification: To ensure fair pay and verify that troops are receiving their proper daily combat bonuses, a centralized mission control tracking system will log exactly when and where soldiers are positioned on combat lines.

• Brigade Accountability: A new evaluation system utilizing over 160 distinct indicators will track brigade effectiveness, identifying high-performing units to scale up their methods while hopefully pointing out the problem units.

And this is only a partial list.

Add it up, the biggest message that comes through is Ukraine wants committed, excellent combat soldiers, will pay for it, and will treat such soldiers with the consideration they believe. The pay rates for combat soldiers are, as said before, arguably the highest in the world.

What they do not want in unmotivated conscripts forced into service and sent to a front that is exceptionally dangerous. It is the latest rebuke to the “draft your young people and send them to the front” pressure that they were put under during the last few years.

They do not need mass as much as excellence, and want the best. Believe me, this is right. The modern battle environment is frighteningly dangerous and complex. There are only two ways to deal with it—you can massacre your own population by sending it in mass into it, or you can rely on small numbers of excellent soldiers who have the best possible equipment, tech and C2 supporting them.

Ukraine is making no bones, it is opting for the latter.