Zelenskyy signs law allowing foreigners to serve as officers in Ukrainian military

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a law allowing foreigners and stateless persons to serve in Ukraine's Armed Forces under contract in officer positions, Report informs via Ukrainska Pravda.

The draft law was submitted to the country's parliament with the president's signature on October 25.

On October 10, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) adopted the draft law entitled On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Regarding the Procedure for Military Service Under Contract by Foreigners and Stateless Persons in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Special Transport Service, and the National Guard of Ukraine.

Prior to that, foreigners could only serve in private and sergeant positions.

An explanatory note to the draft law states that the need to improve the legislation arose due to the challenging operational situation on the battlefield, necessitating a significant increase in the number of combatants in the Armed Forces and other military formations.