Ukrainian men abroad will be called to army, defense minister says

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - Ukrainian men living abroad will be invited to return to the country for military service, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on Thursday.

The minister said Ukrainian men aged between 25 and 60, who are living abroad, will receive an invitation in the coming weeks to report to the recruitment centers.

“We want justice for everyone because it's about our own country. We’ll send them an invitation,” Umerov said in an interview with the German newspaper Bild.

He also said they may take measures if they do not show up voluntarily.

“We are still discussing what should happen if they do not come voluntarily,” he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this week that the military has proposed to mobilize an additional 450,000 to 500,000 people for the army.

He further said that no one knows the answer to whether the Russia-Ukraine war will end next year, but underlined that their strategy remains the same, freeing the entire country from Russian forces.