According to Oleh Kuts, Ukraine's consul general in Lublin, this is the first recruitment center of its kind not only in Poland, but also in Europe.

Ukraine’s defense ministry said that in the first days of the recruitment drive, 138 applications were submitted online, and 58 came through consulates and embassies, with responses from across Poland and abroad.

Kuts said: “We are very grateful to our Polish friends that it is always thanks to you that we manage to realize non-standard ideas and solutions.”

According to Ukraine’s defense ministry, those who express interest are contacted by recruitment officers and invited for an in-person meeting in Lublin, where further details and formalities are discussed.

A military medical commission conducts evaluations, and if all criteria are met, volunteers sign contracts with Ukraine’s defense ministry. Finally, those who have signed undergo training at a military facility provided by the Polish government.

The Ukrainian Legion primarily targets Ukrainian citizens between the ages of 18 and 60 residing in Poland and other European countries and pays for their service. However, most applicants are middle-aged men.

Kuts said he was optimistic that those who join will become the best “ambassadors” for the legion, encouraging more to sign up.

Applications can be submitted via the official website or through Ukrainian consulates. The center in Lublin operates daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.