Because recruits are missing

Ukrainians fit for military service on a trip home must stay

Newly recruited Ukrainian soldiers during training in Kiev(Bild: AP/Efrem Lukatsky)

Ukrainian men of military age living abroad must be prepared for the fact that they will no longer be allowed to leave the country after a visit to Ukraine and will have to serve in the army. The reason for this is a new law that was passed in order to recruit more soldiers.

Ukrainian citizens who have left their country "for more than three months can no longer fall into the category of persons excluded from the conscription register", according to the border guard. They are obliged to report to the army within 30 days.

Law applies to men between 18 and 60
The regulation applies to male Ukrainian citizens between the ages of 18 and 60, explained Andriy Demchenko, spokesperson for the Ukrainian border guard, on Wednesday. The background to this is a new law that came into force on June 1.

After more than two years of war, the Ukrainian army is having great difficulty recruiting more soldiers. The new law is intended to counteract this and simplify the enlistment process by introducing a digital system. At the beginning of April, Kiev had already lowered the age limit for conscription of reservists from 27 to 25.

Also affects dual nationals
Demchenko explained that Ukraine no longer recognizes dual citizenship in this context. The US embassy in Kiev advised Ukrainians who also have US citizenship to no longer enter Ukraine if they "do not wish to remain in Ukraine permanently".