Speaking in his regular address, Zelenskyy said the decision was made as part of a discussion of “postwar opportunities for our warriors.”

“The whole world sees that the Ukrainian warrior is truly strong and truly experienced. Our security export — after this war and for veterans — must become a real business opportunity,” Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine fields between 880,000 and 1 million active personnel, a roughly fivefold increase from pre-war levels.

The country had about 200,000 troops and personnel in early 2022, before conducting a mass mobilization of men aged 27 to 60 that year. In 2024, it lowered the draft age to 25.

A million troops could represent at least 6% of Ukraine’s total workforce. Hundreds of thousands more adults now work for local defense industry manufacturers. Ukraine hasn’t been publishing labor surveys since 2022, and it’s difficult to estimate how many working adults it will have after the war.