Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Friday signed a decree approving the regulation about the military service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine by foreigners and stateless persons.

The decree is aimed at regulating the system defined by the military duty and military service law of recruiting foreigners and stateless persons as privates, sergeants and officers in Ukrainian Armed Forces under a contract, the Ukrainian president's press service reported.

The signed decree allows foreigners and stateless persons, who did not previously serve in Ukraine's armed forces but are now at its military bases, "to fulfill their duty of protecting the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine in good faith and on a voluntary basis."

The decree takes force on the day of its publication.

However, in the regulation about the military service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine for foreigners and stateless persons states that only those foreigners, who are staying in Ukraine legally can be taken for the military service in Ukrainian army, if they have such inclination.

Foreigners may be recruited for contract military service in Ukraine's army as privates, sergeants or officers.

The list of positions that cannot be filled by foreigners is determined by the order of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In addition, foreigners who join the Ukrainian military service are set a probationary period of two months.

As reported, on October 6, 2016, the Verkhovna Rada allowed foreign nationals and people without citizenship to serve in the Ukrainian army. On November 3, 2015, Poroshenko signed the relevant law.