‘Why should I return to fight?’: Ukrainian men living abroad say new law aimed at recruiting more fighters is ‘unfair’

Controversial law strips fighting-age men abroad of consular assistance

Military cadets visit graves of fellow soldiers killed by Russian attacks on Ukraine to mark the Orthodox feast of Palm Sunday in Lviv. Photo: Reuters

Roland Oliphant
© Telegraph.co.uk

When Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago, Vladimir sent his ex-wife and their four-year-old son abroad for safety.

Like most Ukrainian men, he stayed behind, barred from leaving by martial law. But after two years alone, and having been declared medically unfit to serve, he decided to join the family in Germany. “A child needs a father,” he said.