A large number of young Ukrainian men have left the country in the past two months following an August 2025 decision allowing males aged between eighteen and twenty-two to travel internationally. While there are no exact figures confirming how many men have exited, the exodus has sparked a lively debate within Ukrainian society and added to existing concerns over the deteriorating demographic situation in wartime Ukraine.
With millions of Ukrainians crossing the border in both directions each week, it is difficult to gain a clear sense of the recent surge in young men traveling abroad. Britain’s Daily Telegraph reported in late October that almost one hundred thousand Ukrainian males in the eighteen to twenty-two age bracket had entered Poland during the previous two months. Meanwhile, Germany’s Interior Ministry noted that the number of young Ukrainian men registering in the country had risen tenfold from around one hundred per week to almost a thousand.
With men younger than twenty-five not currently subject to mobilization by the Ukrainian military, the recent outflow has been primarily felt in the employment sector. Since the relaxation of martial law travel restrictions in August, many labor-intensive industries that have traditionally relied on large numbers of young employees have reported a sharp decline in the workforce.
Ukraine’s low birth rates and high levels of economic migration meant that the country was already experiencing mounting labor shortages prior to 2022. Following the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion, these demographic challenges have become far more acute, with millions displaced internally or crossing the border into the European Union. A 2024 survey conducted by Ukraine’s European Business Association found that 71 percent of companies were experiencing significant workforce deficits.
Voice of Ukraine 