{"id":628752,"date":"2025-12-12T18:23:06","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T18:23:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/628752\/"},"modified":"2025-12-12T18:23:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T18:23:06","slug":"who-are-ukraines-gen-z-volunteer-soldiers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/628752\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Are Ukraine\u2019s Gen Z Volunteer Soldiers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ukrainians aged 18\u201324 do not have to serve, but many still walk into recruitment centers on their own. Through portraits and first-person stories, we capture what motivates them, and how a year in the army is reshaping who they are and who they hope to become.<\/p>\n

Dec 12, 2025 19:07<\/p>\n

\n 9 min read\n<\/p>\n

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\n Authors\n <\/dt>\n
\"Photo<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

When Russia invaded in 2022, recruitment centers overflowed with volunteers. At the time, Ukraine\u2019s army relied heavily on wartime mobilization and spontaneous enlistment. Three years later, as Russia’s war grinds on and the initial volunteer wave has faded, the country must build a more sustainable system to replenish its forces. The Ukrainian government\u2019s Contract 18\u201324 program, launched in February 2025, was designed as a critical recruitment strategy to do exactly that.<\/p>\n

Contract 18-24 <\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Contract 18-24\u2019 is not about compulsion,\u201d said<\/a> Rustem Umerov, Ukraine\u2019s Defense Minister. \u201cIt is an opportunity for people to make a conscious choice, gain combat experience, and secure financial stability in just one year. It is the volunteer’s choice to either extend their service or return to civilian life, with unique prospects awaiting them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Max,<\/a>
\n Max, 18. \u201cMy dad joined the ATO (anti terrorist operation) in 2014 and participated in the battle for Debaltseve. I was thinking about joining the AFU even before I was 18. I decided to work with drones since this war is about UAV\u2019s, an \u201caerial\u201d war. Before this, I used to drive tractors.\u201d 39th Coastal Marine Brigade. November 2025. Photo by\u00a0Joshua Olley\/UNITED24 Media.<\/p>\n

The program offers<\/a> a clear financial package: a contract worth UAH 1,000,000 ($24,000), of which UAH 200,000 (about $4,800) is paid upfront and the remainder distributed across the year. Volunteers can earn up to UAH 120,000 ($2,800) monthly and receive a zero-interest mortgage, state-funded training, and free medical care, including dental prosthetics. After one year of service, recruits can travel abroad and receive a 12-month exemption from mobilization. For many, it is a rare chance to gain stability during wartime.<\/p>\n

Yet uptake remains slow. Only around 500 recruits have joined since its inception. <\/a>Military service is daunting, bureaucratic delays discourage applicants, and many parents push their children toward safer paths. Officials say it is too early to judge long-term results, but despite early challenges, Contract 18\u201324 could still become an important pathway for Ukraine\u2019s next generation.<\/p>\n

\"Denys,<\/a>
\n Denys, 23. \u201cUntil the day I signed the contract, I was mentally preparing myself all the time… I was going through all sorts of events to improve my knowledge in medicine, shooting, and so on. I came home one day and there was a massive shelling. Shaheds were flying , and then something stooped me. I thought I had to put an end to it, so I joined the army the next day. \u201c November 2025. Photo by\u00a0Joshua Olley\/UNITED24 Media.
\n Personal motivation<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s a funny story,\u201d says Mykhailo, 24, talking about his recruitment. \u201cI opened the Reserve+ add-on, and I chose the brigade’s coat of arms. Before signing the contract, I expected less than what I found here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Mykhailo,<\/a>
\n Mykhailo, 24. \u201cIf you sit on your couch and wait for the war to end, nothing will change,\u201d 39th Coastal Marine Brigade. November 2025. Photo by\u00a0Joshua Olley\/UNITED24 Media.<\/p>\n

Before the full-scale invasion, Mykhailo had a life built around music\u2014ten instruments (literally: piano, accordion, trumpet, drum kit, sopilka, piano, album, bass, tenor, guitar, with accordion being the favourite), endless hours of study, and a quiet routine between work and family. But when the war kept grinding on, he felt he couldn\u2019t stay on the sidelines. \u201cIf you sit on your couch and wait for the war to end, nothing will change,\u201d he says. Today, he serves with the 39th Marines, trading rehearsals for the sounds of FPVs and shelling. His role is observation on the frontline, a far cry from the life he left behind in Boryspil, but one he believes is necessary.<\/p>\n

For many recruits, the decision to join the program represents a wider, more complex choice about their future. “The reason why I came here?\u201d asks Yevhenii\u2014Zhenya\u2014a 19-year-old from Pokrovsk. \u201cMy brother was serving in the army. He died in Bakhmut in 2022. After that, I wanted to help the guys and replace them for some time because they stay in positions for months. He has two daughters left. And they are without a father and a mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Zhenya,<\/a>
\n Zhenya, 19 \u201cBefore I came to the zero line, I had fear and it was good. After 5 months, I don\u2019t have the same fear as in the beginning. I\u2019m used to it now.\u201d 39th Coastal Marine Brigade. November 2025. Photo by\u00a0Joshua Olley\/UNITED24 Media.<\/p>\n

Zhenya\u2019s motivations were clear: “I want silence. They invaded our land. And I don\u2019t want them to be here.” His personal loss and the need to defend his country pushed him to join the military. “Before I came to the responsibility zone, I had fear, and it was good. After 5 months, I don\u2019t have the same fear as in the beginning. I\u2019m used to it now.”<\/p>\n

Pavlo, a 25-year-old instructor with the 39th Coastal Marine Brigade, joined the military at 21. \u201cI went from being in the infantry of the assault units to being a UAV operator and then learning FPVs for almost a year. During one of the shellings I just jumped into a trench in a weird way and ended up having to get on my knee. My assault unit commander told me, \u2018Don\u2019t overwork yourself. You need to learn something else because you\u2019ll be burdensome in some of the tasks.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Pavlo,<\/a>
\n Pavlo, 25. \u201cWe are like a family-type brigade. We try to find internal motivation with our staff… we treat people the same as we treated each other for the past four years, so they feel more comfortable.\u201d 39th Coastal Marine Brigade. November 2025. Photo by\u00a0Joshua Olley\/UNITED24 Media.<\/p>\n

Pavlo\u2019s motivation shifted after experiencing the horrors of war: “It\u2019s very interesting and very intense… full of adrenaline,\u201d he says. \u201cEvery time I heard some FPV or Mavik or some mortar starting fire, I didn\u2019t know what to expect. Did I get hit or not? So there are a lot of emotions regarding it.\u201d<\/p>\n

For many recruits, including Zhenya, the financial stability offered by the program is a powerful draw. The prospect of earning up to $2,800 a month, alongside the additional benefits, makes it an attractive option. However, as the war drags on, recruits are grappling with the realization that their commitment may stretch beyond their initial one-year contract.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I will continue my contract and will continue to serve,” Zhenya says. “There are rumors that maybe our battalion will be transferred to another area of operation, but I\u2019ll make my final decision after that.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pavlo also recognizes that many young recruits are motivated by the financial incentives, but the appeal goes beyond just money. “Apart from being patriotic, which happens less frequently now, it\u2019s the whole package of things that come with these contracts, like the money, free dental and medical treatment, opportunities for higher education, and the ability to leave the country after the contract ends.”<\/p>\n

\"New<\/a>
\n New recruits undergoing Map Reading and Land Navigation. Ukraine\u2019s 39th Coastal Marine Brigade. November 2025. Photo by\u00a0Joshua Olley\/UNITED24 Media.<\/p>\n

Zhenya\u2019s life in Kyiv before the full-scale war was not centered around the military. \u201cI worked as a receptionist in a supermarket,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ve been working since I was 13 years old… There wasn\u2019t too much childhood out there.\u201d For him, joining the military was about more than just financial gain; it was about finding purpose in a world upended by war.<\/p>\n

Pavlo, who has been serving since he was 21, reflects on how the program has shaped his outlook: “The younger you are, the more capable you are,” he says, \u201cYou need to be physically fit to take on any task in the army… if a person who is 40 or 50 goes through the same process, they will feel much worse.” This physical readiness, combined with the opportunities for specialized training provided by the program, ensures that young recruits are more prepared for the challenges they will face on the frontlines.<\/p>\n

\n Read more\n <\/p>\n

Individual experiences<\/b><\/p>\n

“We take great pleasure in correcting our artillery on the Russian occupiers,\u201d Pavlo says. \u201cWe take great pleasure in slowly liberating our country.” These opportunities, combined with the financial benefits, provide young recruits with a clear path forward in the face of adversity.<\/p>\n

Mykhailo describes a different side of the experience \u201cI can\u2019t convey these emotions,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s very interesting and very intense. It\u2019s full of adrenaline. You hear the FPV, the Mavik, the shelling, and you never know if it\u2019s coming for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the fear of war never fully fades, recruits like these young men are adapting to the battlefield. \u201cIt\u2019s part of the job now,\u201d says Zhenya. Pavlo echoes this sentiment, noting the rigorous training young recruits undergo before going to boot camp: \u201cIt\u2019s from two weeks to one and a half months before they go to boot camp… After that, they go through specialized training, and then internal training with the guys inside the brigade.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Bulldozer,<\/a>
\n Bulldozer, 21. \u201cEvery person has fear, but we must overcome it and move on. Because if we are always afraid, nothing will work out for us.\u201d November 2025. Photo by\u00a0Joshua Olley\/UNITED24 Media.
\n \"Moryak,<\/a>
\n Moryak, 21. Moryak was a sailor before he joined the armed forces. Moryak and Bulldozer are childhood friends and enlisted together. They now service in the same reconnaissance drone unit. November 2025. Photo by\u00a0Joshua Olley\/UNITED24 Media.<\/p>\n

Even as the war continues, recruits like Zhenya, Pavlo, and Mykhailo remain steadfast, motivated by personal loss and the desire to protect their country. “We hope that we will still defeat our enemies… And we hope that the future generation will never see war,” Zhenya says. “And I hope it will finally end in our favor.”<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Contract 18-24 may become a cornerstone of Ukraine\u2019s military strategy, not just in terms of numbers, but in how it helps the next generation of Ukrainians navigate the complexities of war, career, and personal aspirations. It\u2019s a tough decision, but for many, it is the right one.<\/p>\n

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Help our reporters investigate lies, verify facts, and deliver truth from Ukraine\u2019s frontlines.<\/p>\n

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