Civilian space without a draft: 21st Ukrainian army recruitment centre opened in Sumy region. Residents of the region will now be able to recruit and join the Armed Forces in Shostka.

"The defence of Ukraine is an honourable duty of every Ukrainian citizen. And we will do everything to make it an honourable and voluntary task. So that volunteers have more opportunities to choose their speciality in the army and defend their homeland," said Mykola Noga, Mayor of Shostka.

"The opening of this centre brings us one step closer to victory. All those who come here will receive professional help and advice," said Oksana Tarasyuk, Head of the Shostka District State Administration.

For more information on vacancies in the region's defence forces, call 0664241005 or e-mail [email protected].

The recruitment centre is open from Monday to Thursday from 8:00 to 17:15 and on Friday from 8:00 to 16:00. Visitors can come with a draft paper to update their details and start the process of joining the defence of the country.

"We appeal to people: please, this is a service created for you, come, call, ask questions. This is a completely civilian space - Administrative Services Centres, our recruiters, they are civilians. They will advise you, they will help you. If you don't find yourself right away, you can come back for a second or third visit. If you don't want to leave your details, don't. This service is there to help you. Without any real obligations. You're making a conscious choice about how to join the defence of the country in these difficult times, when the state really needs everyone's involvement," added Oleksii Bezhevets, the Defence Ministry's commissioner for recruitment.

Recruitment centres of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are actively opening across the country, providing citizens with convenient access to information and the opportunity to join the defence of the country. The latest information on these centres can be found on the official website at https://recruiting.mod.gov.ua/index.html