After more than two years of war, Ukraine is struggling to recruit new troops. It’s recently passed a law lowering the conscription age from 27 to 25. But it went further, issuing new passport rules for men abroad.

Kyiv

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

Ukraine has introduced new regulations concerning the issuance of passports to men of military age residing abroad, a move aimed at bolstering its recruitment efforts amid ongoing conflict. The country, which has been at war for over two years, now faces significant challenges in enlisting new soldiers. In a direct response, the Ukrainian government has ceased to provide new passports to military-aged men outside its borders, requiring them to return to Ukraine to obtain such documents.

The decision is part of broader initiatives to encourage the return of Ukrainian men to participate in the national defense. According to Dmitry Kuleba, Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, the measure targets those who have left the country, stating that participation in state defense is a duty not to be shirked. The policy was implemented with immediate effect in offices such as the Ukrainian passport office in Warsaw, impacting thousands of Ukrainian men in Poland. Reports have emerged of men being unable to receive their passports, highlighting the frustrations and challenges faced by those affected.

Poland, sharing a border with Ukraine and observing a significant influx of Ukrainian men, has expressed support for Ukraine's new policy. The Polish Defence Minister underscored the willingness of his country to assist Ukraine in managing those subject to military service. Meanwhile, concerns regarding the effectiveness of these measures in significantly raising troop numbers remain. Military analyst and reserve major Oleksii Hetman emphasized the necessity of military aid, mobilization of troops, and strong fortifications as crucial elements in the fight against Russian forces. With Ukraine set to receive a substantial aid package from the United States, the need for additional men to utilize this support becomes ever more pressing.



Ukraine recruitment struggles: New passport rules for men abroad

struggling to find men to fight. Its military commander in the east has said that in some sections of the front line Russian forces outnumber it 7 to 1. Now its government has announced a new controversial measure. It will stop issuing any new passports abroad to military aged men. They will only be able to get them back in Ukraine. It wants them to come home. It's what the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmitry Kuleba wrote in a statement. This is how it looks like now. A man of conscription age went abroad, showed his state that he doesn't care about its survival and then comes and wants to receive services from this state. It doesn't work this way. Our country is at war. On Wednesday the order seemed to go into instant effect in the Ukrainian passport office in Warsaw. There are tens of thousands of Ukrainian men of military age in Poland. I got told to pick up my passport. I got here at 6am yesterday. We spent the night but no one's giving us a passport. What do we do now? This is a fight against draft dodgers but they didn't ask us on what basis we went abroad. How can I be a draft dodger if I went abroad legally? Poland neighbouring Ukraine supports the measure and its defence minister said late Wednesday that his country could help out. We've already suggested for a long time that we're able to aid the Ukrainian side by helping those who are subject to military service go home. I think that many of our compatriots feel outraged now when they see young Ukrainian men in hotels and cafes and hear all the time about how much effort we have to make to help Ukraine. But will the measure increase Ukraine's troop numbers? Oleksii Hetman is a military analyst and reserve major in the army. We need three things. One is the military aid that we've already got from our partners. Two is the mobilisation of troops and three, powerful fortifications to repel the Russians. These three things need to add up so that we're able to fight back. With weapons from a $61 billion aid package from the United States now set to begin arriving in coming weeks, Ukraine's still missing men to wield them. John Holman, Al Jazeera, Kyiv, Ukraine.

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Ukraine Invasion