Ukraine Offers Defense Jobs With Conscription Deferrals to Its Citizens Abroad, Says Ukrainian Minister

Ukraine is ready to provide jobs at defense enterprises for its citizens living abroad and offer exemptions from potential conscription, Minister of National Unity Oleksiy Chernyshov told Radio Svoboda on January 8.

He emphasized that this decision is entirely voluntary for the individuals involved, saying, “It is a personal choice, and we welcome it.”

“Today, some industries in Ukraine—particularly the defense and military-industrial sectors—desperately need specialists. We have a shortage of professionals, and most of them can be exempted from military service. To address this, we plan to establish job centers in Ukraine and the countries where Ukrainians reside. These centers will help identify job opportunities and encourage individuals to pursue professional paths in Ukraine,” Chernyshov explained.

“These job centers will also provide services to help individuals choose their professional paths in Ukraine. I am confident that Ukrainian men want to contribute meaningfully. If they are not prepared to continue down a military path, they can offer their expertise, and a specific mechanism exists to facilitate this—it just needs to be utilized,” the minister added.

At the same time, Chernyshov acknowledged that “men are primarily expected to defend Ukraine at this moment.”

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, commenting on the suggestions to lower the conscription age in Ukraine to increase the number of soldiers on the front lines emphasized that shortages in equipment and training cannot be compensated for by younger soldiers.

“We must not compensate the lack of equipment and training with the youth of soldiers. The priority should be providing missiles and lowering Russia’s military potential, not Ukraine’s draft age. The goal should be to preserve as many lives as possible, not to preserve weapons in storages,” he wrote.

Earlier, the 12th Special Operations Brigade Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine announced that it had officially begun accepting foreign volunteers into its ranks.