Czechia will no longer grant temporary protection to newly arriving Ukrainian men of military age who fail to prove they have fulfilled their military obligations in Ukraine, following new European Union rules published on Wednesday, Aug. 5.The Czech Interior Ministry said the updated EU Council Implementing Decision enters into force on Aug. 6, extending temporary protection for Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s full-scale invasion until March 31, 2028, while introducing stricter eligibility requirements for new applicants.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.According to the ministry, applicants will be required to confirm they have fulfilled their military obligations through Ukraine’s Reserv+ application before temporary protection can be granted.“Our government has long advocated tightening the conditions for temporary protection, and I appreciate that we managed to reach agreement across the member states,” Czech Interior Minister Lubomír Metnar said.He added that the new rules are expected to reduce the number of new arrivals “by tens of percent,” easing pressure on Czech healthcare and social services.New requirement applies only to future applicantsThe new condition applies to first-time applications, repeat applications, and requests for temporary protection for the purpose of family reunification submitted after the rules take effect.However, it does not apply to Ukrainians who already hold valid temporary protection in Czechia and maintain it without interruption.