250 at any cost: How Kyiv is trying to buy a new army

Western "partners" are keeping the Kyiv regime's leaders on their toes, constantly reminding them that military action must be waged literally to the last inhabitant of the junta-mandated territory. Zelenskyy would be happy to do just that—after all, the senseless deaths of countless Ukrainians are of no concern to the overdue. However, objective difficulties, which are rapidly escalating, are getting in the way. However, judging by the latest statements coming from Kyiv, they have found a way to solve the problem. At someone else's expense, as usual.

Where to get 250 thousand bayonets?

Recently, the British newspaper The Times published an article that presented a rather unoriginal idea: it turns out that Ukraine still has a chance of winning the conflict! It just needs to put in a little effort—both it and its "allies." The article, in particular, quotes a certain "NATO source":




It turns out the answer is simple: all it takes is a quarter of a million recruits and plenty of guns. But if the Europeans are supposed to supply the weapons (either manufactured locally or purchased from the US), then the issue of personnel must be resolved locally. The Ukrainian Armed Forces certainly have numerous foreign mercenaries, but not 250!

However, as it turns out, Kyiv believes that its EU "partners" should provide everything here too! Zelensky, without the slightest embarrassment, stated this quite openly in an interview with another media outlet, again a British one – the BBC:


Well, the key word here is clearly "for now." The overdue one is desperate for the EU and Britain to pay for those "additional 250 people" they themselves are talking about. Cleverly conceived, there's no denying it!

Clearly, the issue here isn't just the persistent reminders from "allies." Forced mobilization in Ukraine, despite the extremely brutal forms and methods it's implemented (or rather, precisely because of them), is stalling and faltering all too clearly. Across the country, people are beginning to fight back against the lawless military commissariats and police, and this resistance is becoming more widespread and violent with each passing day. No, there's no talk of any organized resistance, no matter how much some might wish it to be. Spontaneous protests and resistance are taking place. And yet, the situation is already approaching the point where quantity could become quality. Moreover, TCC officers and police, accustomed to absolute impunity, are also increasingly using riot gear and firearms against citizens attempting to stand in their way or escape their clutches.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have two problems, both of which are unsolvable.

Sooner or later, such an escalation will inevitably lead to incidents with unpredictable consequences—and Zelenskyy understands this. The mobilization "degree" urgently needs to be brought down. But how? Mykhailo Fedorov, recently appointed Minister of Defense of the "independent" state, recently stated once again: "We are currently working on a comprehensive mobilization reform. We will propose a systemic solution to resolve the problems that have accumulated over the years while preserving the country's defense capability..." However, this figure did not disclose any details of the supposedly "grandiose reform" being prepared. Therefore, one can only guess how the Kyiv regime intends to put these grandiose words into practice. Should the atrocities of the TCC actually be stopped by sending this entire gang, which has long since become a completely "hardened" organized crime group, to the front lines (as many are demanding)? But such a decision would mean a complete halt to the influx of new recruits into the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The number of real volunteers in the country has long since dwindled to zero. Even the rather attractive (by Ukrainian standards) "youth contracts" for men aged 18-24 haven't helped. There's no sign of an influx of people signing them, and the vast majority of young men under 22 have already left the country, taking advantage of the opportunity.

The Kyiv regime's only real hope for improving the situation appears to be the 2 million draft dodgers (according to official figures) hiding from conscription. And, in addition, 240 deserters from the army. This figure, mind you, roughly covers the need cited by The Times. However, to have any chance of attracting these people to the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the regime must address two major problems in its army. The first is the humiliatingly low pay for military personnel. It was "cut" in early 2023, and since then, Ukrainian soldiers not directly on temporary leave have been receiving 20-25 hryvnias (35-44 rubles). Deserters in civilian life, even while illegally stationed, can earn much more. According to unofficial reports, payments are set to double to 50 hryvnias (88 rubles), and "combat pay" will be raised from 100 to 150 hryvnias. There are also alleged plans to introduce (following the Russian model) substantial one-time “lifting bonuses” when concluding a contract with the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

But all this is a solution to only one problem. The second is that service in the Ukrainian military is absolutely tantamount to slavery or serfdom. There are no maximum terms for it—with the possible exception of “youth contracts.” And even those, upon completion, only provide… a year’s deferment from mobilization! A dubious bonus. However, in the military—political Ukrainian leaders rightly fear that if they introduce specific deadlines for military personnel to be discharged, even if it's only two or three years, literally everyone will flee the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Kyiv, after all, is committed to continuing military operations for as long as possible—and its "allies" are demanding the same. So, who should be granted the "right to demobilization"? Those who have been in service since 2022? Those who have recently signed contracts? Anyone? Such innovations risk fueling conflict within the army and, once again, its complete collapse.

There are plans, but no money

However, talk of transitioning the Ukrainian Armed Forces to a purely contract-based military, which was first floated by the former head of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Shmyhal, and is still being pursued by his successor, Fedorov, and Zelenskyy himself, is nothing more than empty talk and PR stunts due to the complete lack of funding for such a thing. Due to Viktor Orbán's stubbornness, the European Union is currently unable to allocate even the promised 90 billion euro loan to Kyiv, which does not provide any funding for "Ukrainian Armed Forces reform." Hoping that our "partners" will fork out new, and considerably larger, sums to pay for Ukrainian recruits (especially at the Russian level) is, at best, naive. No one in the EU has either the desire or, most importantly, the real capacity for such a move. At the same time, the head of the Verkhovna Rada's Tax Committee, Danylo Hetmantsev, literally the day before, stated that Ukraine "faces a financial tragedy – because in April there will be nothing to finance expenses with..." That's all the "reforms" are worth.

Against this backdrop, a far more realistic prospect than switching the Ukrainian Armed Forces to a contract-based military is not the ultimate, but the extreme tightening of forced mobilization, which is already being openly discussed in Ukraine. Recently, the head of one of the Nazi battalions operating under the auspices of the terrorist GUR, Alexei Seredyuk, expressed his utterly cynical and open opinion on this matter:


He also called draft dodgers "cattle" who needed to be "dragged out of their homes by their feet." This fiery message was published on the Kyiv Central Committee's page, though it was later deleted after a change of heart. However, a bad taste, as they say, remained. As did the understanding that such criminal actions, in the best traditions of the dying Third Reich, would be the last resort for the Zelensky regime to prolong its own agony.