---
title: "Ukraine launches a private recruitment market for foreigners: plan to double the number of legionnaires"
description: "The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is launching a new recruitment market for foreigners with the involvement of private companies. 🇺🇦 The goal is to achieve a 1:1 parity between local fighters and legionnaires in the infantry. Experts warn: in winter, Russia may expand strikes on critical infrastructure. 🚂⚡"
date: 2026-06-12T12:52:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraine-launches-private-recruitment-market-for-foreigners
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Ukraine launches a private recruitment market for foreigners: plan to double the number of legionnaires

![Soldiers in camouflage uniforms and tactical gear with weapons in a nighttime forest, symbolizing the participation of foreign volunteers in the Ukrainian conflict](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/12/ukraina-zapuskaet-chastnyy-rynok-rekruitinga-inostrantsev/ukraina-zapuskaet-chastnyy-rynok-rekruitinga-inostrantsev-1.webp)

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has announced a large-scale initiative aimed at transforming the process of staffing units with foreign volunteers. Kyiv plans to open a recruitment market for citizens of other countries, delegating some functions to private companies. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine citing official data from the ministry.

### Private sector involvement in recruitment

The essence of the proposal is to involve specialized recruitment agencies in searching for and preliminarily selecting candidates outside the country. These structures will take on the routine work of selecting those wishing to join the ranks of Ukrainian units. After passing the necessary selection procedures, volunteers will be sent directly to Ukraine.

Thus, a separate market for services to attract foreign fighters acting on a voluntary basis is being formed in the country. This should simplify logistics and accelerate the process of integrating new fighters into combat units.

### Goal: a one-to-one ratio

The key strategic task of the new initiative is a significant increase in the number of foreign military personnel. According to the announced plans, the leadership intends to radically change the personnel structure of assault and infantry units.

As part of the program, it is planned to increase the share of legionnaires to a critically important level. The Ministry of Defense has set a 1:1 ratio as a benchmark, which implies a striving for equality in the number of local fighters and foreign volunteers in frontline units.

### Context: threats of the winter period

The decision to expand recruitment is being made against the backdrop of an escalating situation. According to analysts, in the coming winter period, Russia may change its tactics of conducting hostilities, moving to massive attacks across the entire territory of Ukraine.

The list of potential targets will likely be expanded. In addition to the usual strikes on energy system facilities, elements of the railway network and water infrastructure facilities may be under threat. These structures play a key role in ensuring the functioning of the state, which makes the issue of mobilization and replenishing the ranks of the country's defenders a priority.