Russia’s manpower advantage against Ukraine is waning as Zelenskyy seeks foreign recruits

Ukraine is undertaking significant reforms to bolster its military strength, addressing reported manpower shortages after four years of conflict. President Zelenskyy has announced a substantial increase in army wages, with frontline infantry soldiers now slated to receive an average monthly salary of 300,000 hryvnias (approximately $7,000). The nation is also introducing new, fixed-term contracts for combat roles and aims to fill 30-50% of its assault and infantry positions with foreign recruits, utilizing private firms to streamline recruitment.

Despite earlier perceptions of Russia's overwhelming numerical superiority, its manpower advantage is reportedly waning. While President Putin recently signed a decree on June 12, 2026, to marginally increase the Russian armed forces by 7,360 military personnel, reports indicate that Russia has been losing more troops than it is able to mobilize since the beginning of the year. Ukrainian forces are effectively using drones and medium-range strikes to destroy Russian equipment and personnel at a rate faster than Moscow can replenish them, thereby challenging Russia's traditional strategy of overwhelming force.