War in Ukraine, day 796. Ukrainians abroad do not want to go to war and attack the government in Kiev

The most important events of the last 24 hours:

• Russian troops targeted an industrial facility in the city of Zaporizhia
• Russia claims the capture of a new village on the eastern front, Novobahmutivka
• The Ukrainian military claims Russia has lost 466,150 soldiers since the start of the war
• Russia announced on Sunday that it had intercepted and destroyed 17 Ukrainian drones
• A hotel in the Ukrainian city of Nikolaiev was hit by a drone launched by the Russians. The building was destroyed

A recent decision by President Zelenskiy requires men to return to Ukraine to replace their expired passports, but this raises concerns among those between the ages of 18 and 60, as there is a risk of being drafted into the army. Ukrainians living abroad expressed their dissatisfaction with this measure and declared that they did not want to return to participate in the war, considering the law to be unjust.

The Ukrainian government has adopted a number of measures to attract new recruits, including lowering the recruitment age from 27 to 25. However, Wednesday’s announcement appears to have caused confusion, including within his own government. A Ukrainian official told the Telegraph that they, too, are unsure how the law will work, as issues such as exemptions for those who cannot legitimately serve do not appear to have been clarified.

The law also drew mixed reactions from Ukraine’s allies. For example, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, the Polish Minister of Defense, stated that “Ukrainian citizens have obligations to the state” and that Warsaw would help “to ensure that those who are subject to compulsory military service go to Ukraine.” Instead, German authorities have said that some Ukrainian men will be able to extend their stay in the country even if their passports expire, as long as there is a way to identify them.

In practice, many Ukrainians were able to obtain exemptions, either by being declared unfit for military service, having three or more children, or receiving special permission to travel from the government. Others tried to leave illegally, some crossing Ukraine’s western borders illegally. According to the European Union’s Statistics Agency, Eurostat, about 4.3 million Ukrainians live in EU countries, of which 860,000 are men aged 18 or older.

Surprisingly, the law has drawn criticism even from some soldiers. “SI absolutely agree with themNikita Ruzhenko, a recruiting sergeant with Ukraine’s 113rd brigade based in Kharkiv, said when asked what he thought of the views of Ukrainians who do not want to return. “Telling them that they left Ukraine, so they are no longer Ukrainian, is not normal. We must invite people back, welcome them with pleasure and not tell them they are not Ukrainians. It’s stupid“, he added.

“This law will not work properly. It’s a political compromise and no one wants to take responsibility. It’s not good for the military and it’s not good for civilians. It’s for everybody and nobody.” was the opinion of another active military.

Sergeant Ruzhenko, who lost an eye in the first year of the war but who, like many wounded, is still considered fit for duty and cannot be demobilized, admits that the current recruitment is disastrous.

He says that while the ideal soldier would be between 27 and 30 years old, the average candidate is around 45 or 50, comes from the poor and is often in poor health.

“Doctors pass them off as fit. When they arrive at the facilities, the commanders see people who are tired, in poor health, some with chronic diseases“, he said.

The solution, he argues, is not to threaten people overseas, but to allow people to choose their units to go to war with.

War in Ukraine, April 28, 2024 | A hotel in Nikolaiev was hit by a drone launched by the Russians

War in Ukraine, April 27, 2024 | Ukraine says it shot down 21 of 34 missiles fired by Russia overnight

War in Ukraine, April 26, 2024 | Ukraine withdraws American Abrams tanks from the front line

War in Ukraine, April 25, 2024 | The United States sent long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine

War in Ukraine, April 24, 2024 | Volodymyr Zelensky welcomes the return of 16 Ukrainian children “forcibly transferred” to Russia