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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| 100,000 fighting-age men flee Ukraine in two months after Zelensky relaxed rules, sparking exodus |
| 2025-10-31 |
| [Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Almost 100,000 fighting-age men have fled Ukraine in the last two months after President Volodymyr Zelensky relaxed the rules to allow young men to leave the country. Poland's border guard said 99,000 Ukrainian men aged 18 to 22 have crossed the border since August. The new rules mean men between the ages of 18 and 22 are no longer barred from leaving Ukraine. Previously, men between 18 and 60 had been obliged to stay by law since the onset of the war. The martial law was introduced to ensure the army had enough manpower to defend the country against Russia's onslaught. The migration wave to Poland is a huge jump from the 45,300 who entered Poland in the half a year before August. Many continue to Germany, piling pressure on Friedrich Merz, the chancellor, to slash support for refugees. The previous policy included men who are exempt from conscription due to medical conditions, disabilities and being the primary caregiver for a vulnerable family member. The draft age is currently 25 to 60 years old, having been reduced from 27 in April 2024. Kyiv guards its official death toll, but estimates made by US officials range from 60,000 to 100,000 troops killed since 2022. Ukraine is scrambling to replace its troops as the war rages through its third year. For perspective, the entire British army has 70,000 personnel. The new policy was introduced partly to discourage families from sending their teenage boys abroad before their 18th birthday. Kyiv hopes that by granting youngsters more freedom, they will return and volunteer to fight for their country later on in the war effort. However, young Ukrainian men are fleeing to Europe at a time when tensions surrounding migration are high. |
| Posted by:Skidmark |