The Ukrainian Minister of Defense, Rustem Umerov, announced today that his Government will take measures to call up men of military age residing abroad, which is a novelty since the war started by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
As Umerov explained in an interview with various German media, the plan is that, starting next year, all men between 25 and 60 years old will be summoned to appear at a recruitment center in Ukraine, even if they live abroad. .
"We want justice for everyone, because it is about our country. We send you an invitation," he said, adding that "it is not a punishment to defend your own country and serve it" but rather it is "an honor."
For those who ignore the call, there will be sanctions, he indicated, although the minister did not detail what they will consist of. "We are still talking about what will happen if they do not come voluntarily," Umerov said.
The Defense Minister promised, on the other hand, to increase transparency so that future recruits know in advance how they will be trained, what equipment they will have, where and when they will serve, and when they will be demobilized again.
Despite the ban on leaving the country in force for all men of military age, with certain exceptions, the German authorities estimate that in the German country alone, which has welcomed approximately one million Ukrainian refugees, some 190,000 currently reside. Ukrainian men between 18 and 60 years old.
Last Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that the Army has asked him to mobilize between 450,000 and 500,000 additional troops for the armed forces.
However, Zelensky stated that this is a "sensitive issue" and linked its approval to compliance with a series of requirements by military commanders.
