"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a temporary suspension of the reception of new cases by consular services related to the category of Ukrainian citizens mentioned," indicated the Ukrainian diplomacy in a statement, specifying that it refers to men between the ages of 18 and 60. According to this source, only the issuance of "identity cards for re-entry into Ukraine" is being maintained for this category of men. The cessation of consular services, namely the renewal of identification documents and other important administrative procedures, could theoretically force Ukrainian citizens to return to the country. Kyiv, which has been fighting the Russian invasion for more than two years, desperately needs soldiers, especially since the Ukrainian army expects Moscow to launch a new offensive in the coming weeks or months. The government prohibits men of fighting age from traveling abroad, with only a few exceptions. But, according to media estimates, tens of thousands of men have fled the country illegally to avoid going to the front lines. "The mechanism for updating and verifying information on the military situation of men between the ages of 18 and 60 who are temporarily abroad is now being defined," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said today. Ukrainian diplomacy also added that "further explanations will be provided" when this information gathering work is completed and that men whose military situation is "valid" will once again be able to benefit from consular services. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, with the argument of protecting pro-Russian separatist minorities in the east and "denazifying" the neighboring country, independent since 1991, after the breakup of the former Soviet Union, and which has been moving away from Moscow's sphere of influence and closer to Europe and the West. The war in Ukraine has already caused tens of thousands of deaths on both sides, and the two belligerents remain steadfast in their territorial positions and without openness to negotiating concessions. Recent months have been marked by large-scale Russian airstrikes against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, while Kyiv's forces have targeted targets in Russian territory near the border and in the Crimean peninsula, illegally annexed in 2014. Now in its third year of war, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been facing a shortage of soldiers, weapons, and ammunition, despite repeated promises of aid from Western allies. Also Read: Ukraine says Russia will attack "unexpected" areas in the summer (Portuguese version)