Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov presented to the members of parliament a concept for a large-scale reform of the Ukrainian army. Among the key areas are increasing the role of drones on the battlefield, new financial incentives for soldiers, changes to mobilization approaches, and reform of the territorial recruitment centers.
This was stated by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak in a video on his YouTube channel "Iron MP".
Army reform focuses on drones instead of soldiers
According to Zheleznyak, one of the main ideas of the reform is to reduce the number of military personnel directly involved in combat operations by using drones more extensively.
The concept envisions that drones should identify targets, destroy enemy fortifications and logistics, with military personnel being involved only after this stage.
At the same time, the MP emphasizes that the effectiveness of this approach will depend on the real provision of all units with drones, not just specific brigades. Open questions remain about the volume of drone supplies, front-line needs, and the mechanism for their distribution.
New salaries and large bonuses are being discussed for soldiers
As part of the reform, increasing the base monetary allowance for military personnel to 30,000 hryvnias is also being considered.
Additionally, according to Forbes, new contracts with payments from 250,000 to 400,000 hryvnias are being discussed, and for frontline soldiers, the amount of compensation may reach 460,000 hryvnias per month.
Among the additional incentives mentioned in the draft decisions are:
- up to 250,000 UAH for capturing an enemy;
- 20,000 UAH per day for assault actions to reclaim positions;
- 40,000 UAH per day for offensive operations to capture enemy positions.
However, Zheleznyak points out that these payments have not yet been approved by the government and are not accounted for in the current budget calculations.
Reform of military recruitment centers and mobilization may be the most challenging stage
A separate block addresses changes in the operation of military recruitment centers and the mobilization system. Among the options being discussed is removing recruitment centers from the command of the Ground Forces and creating a new administrative system for mobilization processes.
Digitalization of accounting, simplification of booking procedures, strengthening the responsibility of officials, and the development of a recruitment system where conscripts can choose their unit and specialty are also proposed.
At the same time, the implementation of these ideas has sparked discussions among both military personnel and representatives of the government. According to the MP, some members of the ruling party have publicly criticized certain aspects of the proposed changes.
The main risk of the reform is the lack of funds and political support
According to Zheleznyak's estimates, to implement the new financial incentives, the state will need to find at least an additional 120 billion hryvnias.
So far, such expenditures are not included in budget plans. Moreover, the successful implementation of the reform requires support from the General Staff, the government, parliament, and the president.
In the opinion of the MP, the coming months will show whether the announced proposals will turn into concrete decisions or remain just a presentation without practical continuation.
Earlier, Zheleznyak stated about the lack of funds for the army in the changes to the 2026 budget.