After February 2022, most Ukrainian men between 18 and 60 years old were banned from leaving the country. To be allowed to leave, they need to obtain official permission or qualify for an exemption.
Despite this, tens of thousands of men have tried to escape to avoid having to fight. According to the Ukrainian border control, around 45,000 men between 18 and 60 years old have been detained since the Russian large-scale invasion began.
Additionally, 4,000 citizens were caught at checkpoints for illegally attempting to cross the border by using forged documents or by faking other reasons that would give them the right to cross the border, says spokesperson Andrij Demtjenko.
Ukraine has tried to encourage Ukrainians to return to the country to contribute to the battles. Around 4.1 million Ukrainians had temporary protection status in EU countries in 2024, of which around 22 percent adult men, according to the statistics agency Eurostat.
