The recruitment center in Lublin, along with Ukraine’s consular offices abroad, does not issue draft notices to Ukrainians residing abroad to join the Ukrainian Legion.
Consul General of Ukraine in Lublin, Oleh Kuts, said this in a commentary to an Ukrinform correspondent that a photo of an alleged draft notice, circulating widely in Ukrainian Telegram and Facebook groups in Poland, is a fake created by Russian propaganda.
The Ukrainian diplomat revealed that, in late March, a poorly constructed fake was shared via a Telegram channel for Ukrainians in Poland. This fake quickly circulated to other Telegram groups and eventually Facebook. It included a photo of a crumpled and torn letter, purportedly summoning an unidentified Ukrainian citizen to report to a recruitment center in Lublin.
Kuts highlighted several inconsistencies in the fake document. The text is illogical—it lacks a name or surname of the alleged draftee. The signature and stamp appear over the text, violating proper document formatting standards. Moreover, the address of the Consulate General was blurred on the letter, even though this information is publicly available.
He reiterated that the Ukrainian Legion’s recruitment center operates exclusively for volunteers. “Neither the Consulate General nor the recruitment center has the right to send any draft notices to Ukrainians abroad to join the Ukrainian Legion,” Kuts emphasized.
In his view, the Russian involvement in this fake is evident. Its purpose appears to be sowing distrust among Ukrainians toward their authorities and instilling anxiety within the population.
“I am certain this is a short-sighted and poorly conceived operation by the Russian special services. Anyone with insight can immediately recognize it as a blatant fake. It is evident that their primary aim is to undermine relationships between close partners while stirring distrust and anxiety among Ukrainians,” the diplomat stated.
Interestingly, Kuts noted that the incident unintentionally drew attention to the Ukrainian Legion and its operations, significantly increasing visits to the recruitment center’s website and applications. This surge in interest after the fake news has led to more applications, even outpacing earlier increases seen after positive media coverage of volunteer contracts with the Armed Forces, Kuts added.
The recruitment center is now preparing to formalize contracts with its fourth group of volunteers, scheduled for early June.
As reported by Ukrinform, the establishment of the Ukrainian Legion was announced in early July when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk signed a security agreement in Warsaw. One of the key provisions of the agreement involves the training of Ukrainian military units in Poland.
Volunteers joining the Ukrainian Legion have the option to sign contracts for one year, three years, or until the end of a special period. Upon signing contracts with the Ukrainian Armed Forces, members are sent to a training ground near Lublin, where they undergo training conducted by NATO instructors. For those requiring specialized skills, additional training is provided at designated locations.
Under the bilateral agreement, Ukraine supplies military uniforms and medicines to Legion volunteers, while Poland provides the necessary infrastructure, equipment, and weapons for the duration of the training period.
The first group of volunteers from the Ukrainian Legion signed contracts with the Armed Forces in November last year, followed by the second group in January, and the third in late February of this year.
Ukraine’s first recruitment center for volunteers was established at its Consulate in Lublin
Photo: poland.mfa.gov.ua
