The mass flight of young Ukrainians from the country and the increase in desertions from the front are becoming not only a military but also a political problem for Zelensky, writes the British newspaper The Telegraph.
„The personnel crisis poses Zelensky not only with a military but also with a political dilemma. The army is currently recruiting only men between the ages of 25 and 60 (compared to 27 last year),” the article says.
According to the newspaper, this is officially being done to “protect Ukraine’s future,” but unofficially, to avoid a negative reaction from parents who want to save their sons from the war.
According to the author, the exodus of young men not only exhausts Ukraine’s armed forces, but also puts pressure on its European allies, leaving Kiev with no chance of success in the conflict.
“Without young people, there can be no victory for Ukraine, nor even a future,” the publication believes.
At the end of August, the Ukrainian cabinet allowed all men aged 18 to 22 to travel abroad. Later, Ukrainian media reported that young men were leaving the country en masse, and videos of successful escapes filled Ukrainian social media. Previously, men aged 18 to 60 were prohibited from leaving Ukraine during martial law. Evading military service during mobilization is a crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
Ukrainian Minister of Youth and Sports Matvey Bedny previously reported that approximately 1.7 million young people had left the country since 2022.
According to the UN, approximately 6.8 million Ukrainians had fled the country since the end of February 2022. Some regions, according to the organization, have become depopulated and young people have left.