KYIV: The Ukrainian government has suspended issuing and renewing passports for overseas military-aged men, Ukrayinska Pravda, a Ukrainian online newspaper, reported.

According to a government decree, male Ukrainians aged 18 to 60, who are eligible for military service, now can receive Ukrainian passports only inside Ukraine, Xinhua news agency reported.

The new rules, which are valid till May 18, do not apply to Ukrainian men who are permitted to cross the Ukrainian border during martial law.

Previously, Ukrainian men were allowed to receive ID documents in Ukrainian embassies and from the state-owned passport service Document of the State Migration Service.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law to tighten military mobilisation rules, which introduces some penalties for evaders, including restrictions on consular services.

As of January 2024, about 4.3 million Ukrainians are living in European Union countries, including 8,60,000 adult men, according to Eurostat.