Ukraine offers foreign soldiers 400 euros for six months

Six-month contracts for 400 euros for foreign soldiers

Who signs a six-month contract to go to a war front for 400 euros? The question is not rhetorical. The Ukrainian army's recruitment offers, circulated through portals such as ildu.com.ua, promise 400 euros for regular positions and less than 1,000 for high-danger posts. According to the FAQ, the contract is mandatory for the first six months. Payment is made in hryvnias. Life expectancy at the front, according to the most cynical analyses, does not reach that deadline.

A contract that exceeds life expectancy at the front

The offer has been met with a mix of irony and skepticism. The contract's duration clashes with the reality of the battlefield: six months beyond the life expectancy of the average soldier, as critics point out. The pay, moreover, is made in local currency, which further reduces its value for a foreigner.

The risk of being classified as a mercenary

Another factor dampening any enthusiasm is Russia's treatment of captured fighters. As has been noted, Russia classifies conscripted recruits as prisoners of war, but those who receive a salary and serve without any conscription obligation are considered terrorist mercenaries, facing severe sentences. This turns the offer into an added legal risk.

With figures like these, it is no surprise that the recurring question is "are people actually going?". For now, the answer seems to be a silence more eloquent than any slogan. Meanwhile, the professionals of sarcasm suggest that the best reward might be a folded flag over the coffin, so the family has something to console themselves with.