Ukraine's FM confirms: consular services halted for men abroad

Ukraine suspended consular services for men of conscription age abroad, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba confirmed on X on April 23.

"How it looks like now: a man of conscription age went abroad, showed his state that he does not care about its survival, and then comes and wants to receive services from this state," Kuleba said.

"It does not work this way. Our country is at war."

The obligation to update one's documents with the conscription centers existed even before the new conscription law was adopted.

"If anyone believes that while someone is fighting far away at the frontline and risking his or her life for this state, someone else is staying abroad but receiving services from this state, then this is not how it works," the minister said.

Read also: Ukrainian President Zelenskyy signs new mobilization bill

Being abroad "does not relieve a citizen of his or her duties to the Homeland," he said.

Kuleba ordered measures to "restore fair attitudes toward men of conscription age in Ukraine and abroad."

"This will be fair," Kuleba said.

Soon the ministry will explain the procedure for obtaining consular services at foreign diplomatic missions in connection with the entry into force of the conscription law.

The newspaper ZN.UA earlier reported that the Foreign Affairs Ministry has instructed its diplomats abroad to suspend consular services for draft-eligible Ukrainian citizens, except for processing documents to return to Ukraine, starting April 23.

What the conscription law changes

The Ukrainian Parliament adopted the conscription bill No. 10449 in the second reading on April 11. A total of 283 parliamentarians supported the decision.

The legislators removed from the bill the provision on soldiers' demobilization after 36 months of service without additional decisions of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Staff.

The conscription law will come into force on May 18.

According to the document, the following groups of people are subject to conscription only at will:

• persons with disabilities (for military service under a contract)

• persons released from captivity

• persons under the age of 25 who have completed basic general military training or basic military service

Discharged conscripts are transferred to the mobilization resource following the general rules (from the age of 25). Basic military service begins on Sept. 1, 2025.

Citizens registered with the military may voluntarily create a personal electronic account of a draftee, conscript, or reservist.

All citizens of Ukraine who are registered with the military must clarify their information within 60 days of the law's entry into force:

• address of residence

• contact numbers

• e-mail addresses

• other personal data.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine