Zelensky’s plan backfires: 100,000 young Ukrainians leave the country

For Ukrainians, this has been their reality for more than four years.

When the government decided to give its youth a little more freedom, it was meant to be a gesture of trust. But the change soon revealed an unintended consequence that caught Kyiv off guard.

A law meant to help

At the end of August, Ukraine introduced new regulations allowing men aged 18 to 22 to leave the country even under martial law.

Officials said the rule would make it easier for students to study abroad and discourage families from sending their sons out of the country early to avoid future conscription.

The reform came after months of debate over how to balance the needs of the army with the right of young people to live, travel, and learn.

President Volodymyr Zelensky presented it as a sign that Ukraine believed in its youth and wanted them to remain connected to home.

Numbers tell another story

According to reporting by The Telegraph, nearly 100,000 young men left Ukraine in the weeks following the change.

Border statistics from Poland show that between January and August, 45,300 men aged 18 to 22 crossed into the country.

By late October, that number had climbed to around 98,000, averaging about 1,600 new arrivals each day.

Germany saw the same trend. Local outlets cited by The Telegraph said weekly arrivals of young Ukrainian citizens rose from only a few dozen earlier in the summer to between 1,400 and 1,800 by mid-October.

Most of those leaving were students or workers, though some appeared simply to be escaping uncertainty about future mobilization.

The background to the decision

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, martial law has prevented men between 18 and 60 from leaving Ukraine, even if they were not eligible for active service.

The August amendment softened that rule but also lowered the minimum age for conscription from 27 to 25.

The government described the move as a way to modernize recruitment while allowing younger citizens to pursue education or temporary work abroad.

Officials hoped the policy would encourage these men to return once their studies ended.

President Zelensky warned that the country could not afford to lose its next generation and that contact with the wider world might help keep young Ukrainians engaged with their homeland.

Mixed reactions

Critics argue that the change came at the wrong time. With the army still under pressure and recruitment ongoing, the sight of thousands of men leaving has drawn frustration at home.

Some analysts told The Telegraph that the new rule “created an escape window” rather than a bridge for education.

Supporters insist that opening borders for younger citizens was necessary, even risky, to maintain a sense of freedom.

They believe these young people could return with skills and education that will be vital for rebuilding the country once the war ends.

So far, the government has not indicated plans to reverse the measure.

Officials say they are monitoring departures and return rates, hoping that many of those who left will come back after their studies.

In the meantime, border crossings into Poland and Germany remain busy, and European universities report a surge in Ukrainian applicants.

Sources: The Telegraph, PAP, Wirtualna Polska.

This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, who may have used AI in the preparation