After the Ukrainian government lifted restrictions on foreign travel for men aged 18 to 22, crossings into Poland surged dramatically. According to the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita, the number of entries rose tenfold within days of the decision.

In just the first week after the rule change, departures of Ukrainian citizens increased by 10,600 people. Border officers in Podkarpackie Voivodeship reported that between August 21 and 27, around 500 men from this age group were registered at checkpoints, with 650 ultimately leaving the country.

The following week, from August 28 to September 3, the picture changed entirely: 6,100 Ukrainian citizens crossed the border there, including roughly 2,000 young men heading into Poland.

A similar pattern was observed in Lublin Voivodeship. Before the new regulations took effect, 461 young Ukrainians entered Poland while 575 left. A week later, the number of arrivals jumped to 4,605.

Rzeczpospolita summarized the trend, noting that in both voivodeships combined, the number of men aged 18 to 22 entering Poland had grown tenfold.