Seventh group of Ukrainian Legion volunteers signs contracts with AFU in Lublin
The seventh group of Ukrainian Legion volunteers, consisting of Ukrainian citizens living abroad, signed contracts with the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) on Friday in Lublin.
This was reported to Ukrinform by Petro Horkusha, a representative of the recruitment center at the Ukrainian Consulate General in Lublin, and by the Consul General of Ukraine in Lublin, Oleh Kuts.
“Several dozen Ukrainian citizens signed contracts. In addition to Poland, volunteers arrived from Norway, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom,” Horkusha said.
According to him, the average age of the volunteers is 35–45 years. The group includes several women, who expressed interest in becoming UAV operators, while the men wish to work as UAV operators, drivers, or in the medical field.
Horkusha noted that most of the volunteers signed three-year contracts.
“One 19-year-old signed a one-year contract, and another volunteer from Norway expressed the desire to sign a contract until the end of the special period, emphasizing that he will serve until peace is restored in Ukraine,” Horkusha added.
The Consul General of Ukraine in Lublin expressed satisfaction that the recruitment center is working successfully, helping cooperation with Polish partners, who are currently providing active support to Ukraine, particularly during the energy crisis caused by Russian aggression.
“We are grateful to the Polish side, as their contribution is significant. We also thank our citizens who, despite poor weather, came to Lublin from different European countries. It is very important that they actively communicate with the press, share their motivation, and thereby help counter Russian fake news,” Kuts emphasized.
An especially important aspect, according to the Consul General, is that some volunteers in this group decided to join the AFU after communicating with contract soldiers from the earlier Ukrainian Legion groups.
“They confirmed that everything they had been told by acquaintances already serving in the AFU is true, and all contract conditions are being respected. This helps counter Russian disinformation claiming that volunteers are immediately sent to the front without training,” the Consul General said.
After signing the contracts, the group will go to one of the training centers in Poland for 45 days of basic military training. Once training is complete, the group will be deployed to Ukraine.
Earlier volunteers who had already completed training in Poland and combat drills at permanent deployment points in Ukraine were sent to the combat zone several months ago.
The creation of the Ukrainian Legion was announced in July 2024, following a security agreement signed in Warsaw between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. One of its provisions involves training Ukrainian military units on Polish territory.
The recruitment center for Ukrainian volunteers at the Consulate General in Lublin opened in early October 2024.
Volunteers in the Ukrainian Legion can sign contracts for one year (for youth under 25), three years, or until the end of the special period. After signing contracts with the AFU, the volunteers are sent to a training ground near Lublin for instruction by NATO instructors.
By agreement, the Ukrainian side provides the volunteers with military uniforms and medical supplies, while Poland provides infrastructure, equipment, and weapons for the training period.
The first group of Ukrainian Legion volunteers signed contracts with the AFU in November 2023, the second in January 2025, the third in late February, the fourth in early June, the fifth in early August, and the sixth last October.
Photo: Consulate General of Ukraine in Lublin