Ukraine is making efforts to get men of conscription age to return home

This month, Kyiv adopted new legislation toughening penalties for draft dodgers and lowering the age of conscription by two years to 25. These efforts reflect an attempt to expand the ranks of the military.

“Being abroad does not release a citizen from his duties to the Motherland. Therefore, yesterday I ordered to take measures to restore the right attitude towards men of conscription age in Ukraine and abroad. It will be fair,” said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

“In the near future, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide additional explanations regarding the procedure for obtaining consular services for men of conscription age at foreign diplomatic missions,” he added.

A document published in Ukrainian media, which has not been confirmed by the government, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was suspending consular services for all Ukrainian men abroad between the ages of 18 and 60.

The published letter, signed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrijus Sybiha, states that Ukrainian embassies will only issue documents to men living abroad that allow them to return to Ukraine.

This is likely to force men to return to carry out various administrative procedures that could previously be carried out abroad.

The Passport Service of Ukraine announced on Tuesday that it has suspended the issuance of some documents at consulates abroad citing technical reasons.

In recent months, Ukrainian forces, vastly outnumbered by the Russians in terms of weaponry and personnel, have been steadily losing ground to Moscow’s forces, which recently captured the eastern town of Avdiyivka and are now entrenching in surrounding villages.