Foreign soldiers defending Ukraine: a call for legal recognition and justice

Rakhim Kudrat Ogly Babaiev:

“Thousands of volunteers who have been standing shoulder to shoulder with Ukrainian citizens for over three years, defending Ukraine from Russian invaders — fighting, getting wounded, and dying — still do not have official status! Hundreds of them have been fighting since the times of the Anti-Terrorist Operation…

Many of these heroic defenders are now, in fact, considered undocumented: they cannot move freely, receive proper medical treatment, or fully undergo rehabilitation… Legally, they are deprived of rights in the very country they came to defend…

We bring to your attention the appeal of volunteer soldier Garnik Vazgenovych Karanlgtsyan — currently an advisor to the Head of the Obolon District State Administration, founder of the charitable foundation ‘Heritage,’ and public figure…”

We, foreign soldiers who came to help Ukraine, seek legalization and the right to a dignified life. However, the situation we find ourselves in urgently needs to change. This is not just a problem — it is a matter of justice.

We want to legalize our status and stay in Ukraine lawfully! We are defending this country, yet we have no rights that would allow us to live a normal life here.

We must not be treated differently! We deserve the same benefits as members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine — just like everyone who is fighting for Ukraine.

We cannot even sign a contract with a family doctor because we lack residence permits, which deprives us of access to proper medical care.

Foreign soldiers defending Ukraine cannot return to their home countries because they are considered terrorists there. Yet here, in Ukraine, we have no legal documents. This must change!

Where are our residence permits? Where are the equal rights everyone loves to talk about? We, who risk our lives for Ukraine, still don’t have even the most basic rights!

Our relatives cannot come here, and we cannot go to them — leaving us unable to reunite with our loved ones.

This issue has remained unresolved since 2014. How much longer must we wait? How long must we live in uncertainty?

We are needed only in times of war, when the situation is critical. But as soon as things calm down, we are forgotten once again.

Under the contract, it takes three years to obtain citizenship. But how many of us can survive under these conditions for that long?

We are open to constructive dialogue and finding solutions to these issues. We invite all concerned parties to a roundtable discussion where we can work together to find real solutions and create fair conditions for everyone fighting for Ukraine.

#VolodymyrZelenskyy

#OfficeOfThePresidentOfUkraine

#UkrainianOmbudsmanOffice

#MinistryOfInternalAffairsOfUkraine

#IhorKlymenko

#StateMigrationServiceOfUkraine

#DmytroLubinets

Andriy Galat