Ukraine's Ministry of Defense clarifies its statement on mobilization abroad

Ukraine's Minister of Defense Rustem Umierov calls on all Ukrainian citizens to join the Armed Forces, wherever they may be. Illarion Pavlyuk, the Chief of the Press and Information Department of the Ministry of Defense, informed LIGA.net about this in a comment.

"Whether you received a military draft notice or not, the threat to Ukraine has not disappeared. Does this concern Ukrainians residing abroad? Absolutely. Defending the country during wartime is the constitutional duty of all citizens," said the official.

There is currently no agenda item regarding the mechanism of punishment or legal pressure on conscripts residing outside Ukraine, according to him.

Pavlyuk stated that there are more than enough tasks related to recruiting, improving mobilization mechanisms, and training systems.

"However, let's emphasize once again: the draft notice is just a notification to the citizen that they are needed by the state for defense. From this point of view, it's strange to expect a personal invitation at the end of the second year of a full-scale onslaught. Have you heard about the war in Ukraine? Consider yourself invited. Go already. Go, like all those who stood in lines near military enlistment offices in February 2022," said Pavlyuk.

• Today, in an interview with Welt, the Minister of Defense stated that Ukrainian conscripts of draft age residing in Germany and other foreign countries should join the Armed Forces in 2024. He also mentioned sanctions for those who do not comply with this requirement.
• Umierov expressed confidence in the possibility of liberating temporarily occupied Crimea next year, as reported by the tabloid Bild. However, Pavlyuk later informed Hromadske that Umierov's words were twisted. According to him, the minister stated that "Crimea will be liberated 100%. This is our strategic goal," but did not claim that it would happen specifically in 2024.
• Several Ukrainian Telegram channels spread information from the Unified State Register of Declarations in the morning, claiming that the children of the Minister of Defense are supposedly US citizens. The department's press service responded that this is fake news: Umierov's children received Ukrainian passports at the embassy in the United States.

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