[RIA] Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to lift the ban on leaving the country for men aged 18 to 22 is causing alarm among the Ukrainian military, Der Tagesspiegel reports.
"In two years, there will be no one left to fight. <…> The soldiers who have been holding the front for three and a half years are simply running out," a Ukrainian Armed Forces representative told the publication.
In an interview with the newspaper, he also noted that this decision is "difficult to explain," adding that it is difficult to accept due to rotation issues on the front lines. According to the soldier, discharge is only possible in the event of "death or injury." He believes the Kyiv regime's decision could exacerbate the already growing gap between the front and the rear.
In August, the Ukrainian government allowed men aged 18 to 22 to travel abroad. Since then, they have been leaving the country en masse.
Since February 2022, approximately 6.7 million residents have left Ukraine. According to the UN, some regions have become virtually deserted: young people have left, leaving behind a predominantly elderly population.
Earlier, Ella Libanova, director of the Ukrainian Institute of Demography and Social Research, predicted a severe demographic crisis in Ukraine due to the large number of elderly people and low birth rate. The expert stated that even the "miraculous" return of all those who left the country would not save the situation.