Not enough Ukrainians living abroad have volunteered to undergo military training in order to return home and fight for their country, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told journalists on Friday. Only about 300 people have agreed to join in almost three months, the minister said.
The formation of what was dubbed the ‘Ukrainian Legion’ was first announced by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Vladimir Zelensky in early July.
The unit was set up to “unite” Ukrainian volunteer troops permanently living in Poland with those from other EU nations, according to the local media. They would then to be trained by the Polish Army and sent to fight for their country.
At the time, volunteers were promised better training and gear provided by Kiev’s Western backers, as well as some legal and financial benefits from Warsaw. Polish officials initially claimed that thousands had applied to join the unit.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said that training was scheduled to begin from September 1, but there were simply not enough people to work with.
“I've heard about 300 people,” the minister said when asked about how many volunteers had expressed their desire to join the legion’s ranks. According to Kosiniak-Kamysz, the target size of the unit was one brigade. A standard NATO brigade consists of approximately 5,000 troops.
According to the minister, the situation with the legion could improve now that Kiev has taken “actions related to the information, recruitment and promotion of this process.” The Ukrainian Defense Ministry announced it was establishing an enlistment center for the legion in the Polish city of Lublin earlier this week. The Ukrainian Consulate has reportedly begun recruiting volunteers in the city.
Over 4 million Ukrainians who have fled their country since 2022 had temporary protection status in EU countries as of July this year. Adult men make up slightly more than a fifth of the total, according to data provided by the bloc’s statistics bureau, Eurostat.
Kiev launched a general mobilization soon after the conflict with Moscow broke out, but has been struggling to replenish troops on the battlefield. The draft campaign has also been marred by widespread avoidance and allegations of corruption.
Ukraine has sought to bring draft-eligible men back to the country by denying them consular services abroad and the ability to update their documents. Senior Ukrainian officials have also called on Western nations to send draft-dodgers back home.