Ukraine, which is embroiled in a political crisis between Russia and the Western powers, has ordered the mobilization of reservists amid a potential war.

“The mobilization will concern reservists aged 18-60,” the Ukrainian Land Forces said on Facebook.

The Land Forces stated that the mobilization had started as of this Wednesday (Feb.23), adding that the maximum service time is up to one year.

Apart from 250 thousand members of the regular armed forces in Ukraine, there are more than 200 thousand reservists.

Ukrainian authorities warned that refusing to be drafted without a reasonable justification could be subject to “administrative and punitive sanctions”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement the previous day that “a general mobilization” was out of the question.

Kiev has also urged its citizens in Russia to leave the country as soon as possible.

According to the Ukrainian authorities, around three million Ukrainians live in Russia.

Russian officials announced on Tuesday that they were evacuating their diplomats from Ukraine.

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics in eastern Ukraine. The Russian decision has led to concerns over a military operation against Ukraine.