Ukraine has stopped issuing passports to men of conscription age living abroad – Respublika.lt

Men subject to the measure will not be able to obtain passports from “foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine,” according to amendments to the law posted on the government’s website on Wednesday.

It is not yet clear to what extent and for what period this measure will be applied.

The announcement came a day after consular services for men aged 18 to 60 living abroad were suspended pending the implementation of a new mobilization law.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry announced on Wednesday that its own consular procedures “remain unchanged”. This means that men of conscription age whose military service records are up to date will still be able to obtain passports once the mobilization law comes into effect.

Ukrainian men have been banned from leaving the country since the beginning of the invasion, with only a few exceptions allowing men to cross the border legally. Some fled illegally, others, who lived abroad until 2022, did not return when the war broke out.

However, Kiev’s forces are facing difficulties on the battlefield, including a shortage of soldiers.

Many soldiers from 2022 February fights with little or no breaks. After a long delay and criticism, the government was forced to take new measures to recruit more soldiers and fight draft evasion.

Will help bring back men of draft age

Polish Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said that his country is ready to help Ukraine repatriate men of conscription age.

Poland has previously offered help to Ukraine in returning men of conscription age to fulfill their civic duty, the minister said in an interview with the Polsat News TV channel.

“I think many Poles are angry when they see young Ukrainian men in hotels and cafes and hear how much effort we have to put in to help Ukraine,” he noted.

But W. Kosiniaks-Kamyszas did not specify how exactly Poland intends to solve this issue.

“Any kind of support is possible,” the minister stressed when asked how Poland would react if Kiev asked for help in repatriating men whose passports had expired.

According to Eurostat, at the beginning of 2024, 4.3 million Ukrainians lived in EU countries, of which about 860 thousand – adult men.

Poland granted temporary protection status to 950,000 people. Ukrainians, it is the second highest indicator after Germany.