Hoping for a mass extradition of Ukrainian draft dodgers who left the country should not be expected – advisor to the Office of the President of Ukraine

Hoping for a mass extradition of Ukrainian draft dodgers who left the country should not be expected, but legal proceedings may be initiated against them in Ukraine after the end of the war.

This information reported according to a statement by Mikhail Podolyak, an advisor to the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Podolyak explained that regarding Ukrainians who obtained fraudulent certificates and left the country, legal actions would be pursued. He stated,

“Based on this, it will be necessary to approach the courts of the countries where they are staying as refugees with specific legal statuses to have these statuses revoked, and in the courts of these countries, prove that these individuals obtained their certificates improperly. However, extradition is a complex procedure, so there should be no hope for a mass return of such people. It will be impossible to retrieve people en masse from Western countries.”

He also mentioned that there would be registries of individuals who obtained fraudulent certificates, and when they return to Ukraine, they will face legal issues. If they do not return now, then after the war ends, they will encounter certain legal problems, including investigating the reasons for their departure from the country, among other issues.