Ukrainian commanders will be able to directly select volunteer fighters, announces Defense Minister

Commanders of Ukrainian military units will now be able to directly select soldiers who voluntarily enlist, bypassing the standard process of involving enlistment offices, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced on October 1.

Ukraine undertakes campaign to modernize military recruitment, aiming to streamline mobilization, fighting corruption and improving other military processes that have been hampered by Soviet-era practices.

Under the new rules, those who voluntarily enlist in specific units can be recruited by commanders without having to go through enlistment offices, called territorial recruitment centers.

These centers have gained a reputation in Ukraine for bad practices and corruption.

The new system will enable “high-quality recruitment,” Umerov said. Commanders will be able to personally select volunteers, “taking into account their skills, experience and aspirations”.

“For every Ukrainian, man and woman, this is a chance to find their place in the ranks of defenders, where their abilities will bring the greatest benefit,” Umerov said.

New military app will revolutionize the way Ukraine manages its army

Ukraine’s fight for survival in the face of a larger, better-equipped enemy is forcing the country’s military to quickly seek innovations. The latest modern solution used to replace the bureaucratic operations of the Soviet army is the recently launched Army+ application, which aims to make the armed forces “paperless”.