Draft-eligible Ukrainian citizens in Czechia will not be
forcibly returned to Ukraine, Ukraine's Ambassador to Czechia, Vasyl Zvarych, told
RFE/RL on Sept. 5.
“I want to reassure everyone that there are no forced measures to return Ukrainians to Ukraine — particularly those of mobilization age,” said Zvarych.
“Of course, the motivation is the responsibility of each Ukrainian citizen ... Naturally, it’s the choice of each citizen who, for various reasons, found themselves outside their country.”
He added that Ukraine's responsibility as a state is to create favorable conditions for the return of citizens who are willing to defend their country.
According to the Czech Interior Ministry, there are 253,000 Ukrainian men residing in the country. Of these, more than 95,000 are between 18 and 65 years old and on temporary visas.