Ukrainian soldiers under 25 who signed contracts complain they haven’t received the promised one million

Ukrainian soldiers under the age of 25 who signed contracts before the official launch of the “Youth Contracts” program are reporting that they have not received the promised enlistment bonus of ₴1 million (about €23,000).

This was reported by serviceman Stanislav Bunyatov.

According to him, while the offer of a million hryvnias sounds appealing in public campaigns, in practice it is “not being implemented everywhere.”

“I’ve already heard more than once that someone somewhere got this payment — but not here. In my unit, I’ve asked about this several times, since I fully meet all the criteria. But the duty officer in charge of personnel didn’t even know what I was talking about, because no official documents or orders have arrived — they’ve only heard about it online,” Bunyatov wrote.

Previously, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense had stated that the ₴1 million bonus would apply not only to new recruits but also to those who joined before the launch of the youth contract program, as long as they were under 25.

The Ministry has actively promoted the “youth contracts” on TikTok, with users noting that some of the motivational messages included offering cheeseburgers or six pairs of free boots to attract young men to the front lines.

Recently, Member of Parliament Yuriy Kamelchuk stated that promotional videos advertising ₴2 million bonuses for 18–24-year-old enlistees were outright deceptive. According to him, these funds are not paid upfront, but rather in installments — and only if the soldier survives until the end of the contract.