War in Ukraine
The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Ukraine moves to cut off consular services for military-age men abroad

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April 23, 2024 at 10:39 a.m. EDT
Ukrainian soldiers carry shells to fire at Russian positions on the front line near the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s Donetsk region on March 25. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)
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KYIV — Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it has suspended consular services for Ukrainian men of military fighting age who have left the country, potentially cutting off their ability to renew passports or access other essential citizen services.

Thousands of Ukrainian men are believed to have left their country rather than risk being drafted to help defend against Russia’s continuing invasion, even though martial law bars men age 18 and over from traveling abroad. Thousands of others were already living abroad, typically to work or study, when Russia invaded in February 2022.