--- title: "Berlin Urges Ukrainian Men of Draft Age to Return Home and Offers to Share Data on Them with Kyiv" description: "German Foreign Minister Johann Wadefuhl stated that Ukrainian men of draft age in Germany should return home, and that Berlin is ready to share data on them with Kyiv via social benefits, registration records, and residence permits." date: 2026-09-09T04:02:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/berlin-urges-ukrainian-men-of-draft-age-to-return-home tags: [germany, ukraine, conscription, wadefuhl, temporary-protection, eu, defense-orders] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Berlin Urges Ukrainian Men of Draft Age to Return Home and Offers to Share Data on Them with Kyiv ![Ukrainian refugees with children and luggage wait at a German accommodation point amid Berlin's call for men of conscription age to return to Ukraine](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/09/berlin-prizval-ukrainskih-muzhchin-pripuznogo-vozrasta-vernutsya-domoy/berlin-prizval-ukrainskih-muzhchin-pripuznogo-vozrasta-vernutsya-domoy-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Wadefuhl stated that Ukrainian men of draft age in Germany should return home - Berlin is ready to share identification data with Kyiv via social benefits, registration records, and residence permits - The minister urged Ukraine to buy more weapons from German companies - The statement came against the backdrop of Berlin's accusations against Russia over the drone attack on Leipzig/Halle - The EU and Germany are tightening temporary protection rules for Ukrainians The German Foreign Minister, Johann Wadefuhl, publicly stated that Ukrainian men of draft age currently on German territory "should return home." According to him, Berlin has information on exactly which of these citizens are living in the country: the ministry can rely on data regarding recipients of social benefits, residential registrations, and residence permits. The minister emphasized that Germany is ready to share this information with Kyiv to help Ukrainian authorities identify men of draft age. RBC-Ukraine reports this, citing Reuters and Wadefuhl's direct statements. ### Identification Mechanism: From Social Benefits to Residence Permits A key element of Berlin's position has been its readiness for practical, not merely political, coordination. According to Wadefuhl, German authorities know which Ukrainian men receive social benefits, who is registered, and who holds a residence permit. It is precisely these administrative databases that, in the minister's view, could serve as a tool for identification. Thus, the statement goes beyond rhetoric and implies the exchange of data between the agencies of the two countries, effectively shifting the issue from the plane of diplomatic declarations to that of administrative cooperation. ### Pressure on Defense Orders: "Not Yet Satisfied" At the same speech, Wadefuhl stated that Ukraine should buy more weapons from German companies. The minister argued that Germany is Kyiv's largest donor and therefore "has the right to expect orders for its own defense sector." "We are not yet fully satisfied with the volume of orders we receive in Germany," he emphasized. This statement marks Berlin's attempt to link military support with the economic interests of the German defense industry and to redirect part of Ukraine's defense procurement to domestic producers. ### Context: Drone Attack on Leipzig/Halle and Diplomatic Rupture The minister's statement came a few days after Germany accused Russia of organizing an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport in August. According to Berlin, a major disaster was barely averted at the time. In response, Germany ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn and the Russian cultural center in the capital. Russia categorically denied the accusations, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called Germany's actions "the beginning of a real war." Wadefuhl rejected this characterization: "We had to react. That is understood by everyone." ### Contradictory Data Around the incident at Leipzig/Halle airport, the positions of the parties directly diverge. Berlin claims that Russia organized an attempted drone attack and that the threat was real; Moscow denies these accusations, not acknowledging any involvement. The evaluative frameworks differ as well: Lavrov characterizes Germany's reaction as "the beginning of a real war," while Wadefuhl insists that the response was necessary and "understood by everyone." Thus, the factual basis of the incident (its nature, the level of threat, and responsibility) remains a matter of dispute rather than an established fact, and in this article it is presented as the version of one of the parties. ### Beyond Berlin: Tightening of Temporary Protection Rules in the EU Wadefuhl's statement fits into a broader trend. Germany has already denied temporary protection to some Ukrainian men: the new rules apply to those who arrived in the country after July 31, 2026. In parallel, the entire EU has tightened the conditions for granting temporary protection β€” without a border-crossing stamp in their passport, Ukrainian citizens may face problems in obtaining status. Taken together, these measures create pressure on men of draft age and form the institutional backdrop for Berlin's call for their return home. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [German Foreign Minister Says It Is Time for Ukrainian Men to Return Home](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/golova-mzs-nimechchini-zayaviv-shcho-ukrayinskim-1788924591.html) - Основной источник: заявлСния ВадСфуля ΠΎ Π²ΠΎΠ·Π²Ρ€Π°Ρ‰Π΅Π½ΠΈΠΈ ΠΌΡƒΠΆΡ‡ΠΈΠ½ ΠΏΡ€ΠΈΠ·Ρ‹Π²Π½ΠΎΠ³ΠΎ возраста, готовности Π΄Π΅Π»ΠΈΡ‚ΡŒΡΡ Π΄Π°Π½Π½Ρ‹ΠΌΠΈ (соцвыплаты, рСгистрация, ВНЖ) ΠΈ ΠΎ Π·Π°ΠΊΡƒΠΏΠΊΠ°Ρ… оруТия Ρƒ Π½Π΅ΠΌΠ΅Ρ†ΠΊΠΈΡ… ΠΊΠΎΠΌΠΏΠ°Π½ΠΈΠΉ; ссылка Π½Π° Reuters. - [In Germany, a Call to Help Ukraine Return Men of Draft Age](https://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/28093195) - НСзависимоС ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ ΠΏΠΎΠ·ΠΈΡ†ΠΈΠΈ Π‘Π΅Ρ€Π»ΠΈΠ½Π° ΠΎ содСйствии ΠΈΠ΄Π΅Π½Ρ‚ΠΈΡ„ΠΈΠΊΠ°Ρ†ΠΈΠΈ украинских ΠΌΡƒΠΆΡ‡ΠΈΠ½ ΠΏΡ€ΠΈΠ·Ρ‹Π²Π½ΠΎΠ³ΠΎ возраста. - [Wadefuhl: Security in Europe Is Possible Only in a Struggle Against Russia](https://www.dw.com/ru/glava-mid-frg-bezopasnost-v-evrope-vozmozna-tolko-v-protivostoanii-rf/a-77593896) - ΠšΠΎΠ½Ρ‚Π΅ΠΊΡΡ‚ Ρ€ΠΈΡ‚ΠΎΡ€ΠΈΠΊΠΈ ВадСфуля; ΠΈΠ½Ρ†ΠΈΠ΄Π΅Π½Ρ‚ с Π›Π΅ΠΉΠΏΡ†ΠΈΠ³/Π“Π°Π»Π»Π΅ ΠΈ рСакция Π Π€ приводятся ΠΊΠ°ΠΊ вСрсия сторон β€” фактичСская основа спора. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What exactly did the German Foreign Minister say about Ukrainian men in Germany? **A:** Johann Wadefuhl stated that Ukrainian men of draft age in Germany should return home, and that Berlin is ready to help Kyiv identify them. ### Q: What data is Germany ready to share with Ukraine? **A:** According to the minister, this is data on recipients of social benefits, residential registrations, and residence permits. ### Q: Is the statement linked to the drone attack case on Leipzig/Halle? **A:** The statement came a few days after Germany accused Russia of an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport in August; Russia denies the accusations, and Berlin closed the Russian consulate in Bonn and the cultural center in the capital. ### Q: Have the temporary protection rules for Ukrainians changed? **A:** Yes. Germany is denying temporary protection to those who arrived after July 31, 2026, and the EU as a whole has tightened the conditions: without a border-crossing stamp in the passport, problems may arise in obtaining status.