Zelensky announces plan to establish private military companies in Ukraine
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President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 6 that Ukraine is preparing legislation to legalize private military companies, as Kyiv looks to create new postwar opportunities for veterans and expand its role in the global security sector.
In his evening address, Zelensky stated that he had instructed the Interior Ministry, intelligence agencies, government officials, and the Presidential Office to develop a legislative framework for private military companies and ensure the bill is passed this year.
“Leading states in the world engage their citizens to work in so-called private military companies and in some other organizational forms,” Zelensky said.
“It is important to give our state its own response to this niche, to this opportunity, to this demand in the field of security exports,” he added.
Zelensky did not specify what exact activities such companies would be authorized to carry out or what form state oversight would take.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko later said the initiative is intended to create a “transparent and controlled model” for providing specialized security and protection services that would fully comply with Ukraine’s Constitution.
Klymenko said Ukrainian troops now have “unprecedented combat experience” recognized worldwide and argued that after the war, that experience should become a professional opportunity for veterans.
He added that Ukraine has something to offer the global security market while safeguarding its own national interests and security.
Klymenko also said he briefed Zelensky on separate legislative efforts to regulate civilian firearms circulation, describing the bill as a way to establish clear rules for civilian gun ownership, strengthen public safety, and protect citizens’ right to self-defense.
The push follows earlier signals from Zelensky that Ukraine could consider legalizing private military structures, an idea he first raised publicly in June 2025 amid Russian demands for Ukraine to dissolve military formations.
While critics warn that legalizing private military companies could create security risks if oversight remains unclear, supporters argue such legislation could create jobs for Ukraine’s growing veteran population and allow the country to export battlefield expertise abroad.
Lawmakers suggest that private military companies in Ukraine could be regulated by established defense structures, such as the Defense Ministry, the National Police, intelligence agencies, or the Armed Forces, without conflicting with the country's law enforcement.
