Ukrainian men who live abroad and are fit to serve in the military should return to join the country’s armed forces next year, the war-hit country’s defence minister said on Thursday, adding that punishments could be introduced for those who fail to do so.
It represents a significant shift in Ukraine’s recruitment policy 22 months after it was invaded by Russia, and comes after Volodymyr Zelensky said the military had asked him for as many as half a million more men in 2024, but that no decision on conscription had yet been made.
