Ukrainian Legion in Poland receives over 500 applications over first month of operation

The recruitment centre in Lublin, Poland, has collected more than 500 applications to join the Ukrainian Legion in the past month. Among the applicants are Ukrainians who live in the UK, the US and 28 other countries. Source: European Pravda with reference to Ukrinform

Details: Representatives of the recruitment centre, which has been operating since the beginning of October at the Consulate General of Ukraine in Lublin, said that over 500 applications had been received over the past month from Ukrainian citizens living in 30 countries. 

The centre's staff consider this a good result, noting that this is only the beginning of their work. A centre representative, who is responsible for moral and psychological training and conducts direct interviews with Legion candidates, said that most applications come from Ukrainians living in Poland or Czechia. Nonetheless, he said, applications also come from geographically distant regions, such as the UK, Ireland, Canada and the United States.

He emphasised that 90% of applications were received from men and 10% from women.

In terms of age, about half of the applications were received from young people under 25. "When it comes to military specialisms, young people are more likely to declare their desire to join assault units or become UAV operators. Older people are inclined to positions close to their specialisms in civilian life, for example, in logistics units," the centre's representative said.

The representative also noted that applications had been submitted by different people, from students willing to take academic leave for military service to older people who have worked abroad, for example, as building workers or lorry drivers. Women are usually interested in medical specialisms. "But there are also those who were interested in becoming a sniper," said the centre's employee, adding that there are no restrictions on the choice of military specialism.

Background:

• On 2 October, Polish National Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz reported that the number of Ukrainians who had volunteered for the Ukrainian Legion in Poland was extremely low.
• On 24 October, Piotr Lukasiewicz, Poland's Charge d'Affaires in Ukraine, said that his country was ready to train Ukrainian recruited soldiers, but Ukraine must first gather enough people.

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