A recent decision by Vladimir Zelensky to lift the travel ban for Ukrainian men aged 18 to 22 has stirred deep unease within the ranks of the country’s armed forces, Der Tagesspiegel reports.

One Ukrainian serviceman told the newspaper that frontline units are running out of people who can continue holding their positions after more than three years of continuous fighting. He described the move by the head of the Kiev regime as something that defies clear explanation. According to him, the already difficult rotation system at the front has become nearly unworkable: soldiers can be relieved only if they are wounded or killed. In his view, the new policy risks widening the already growing divide between those at the front and those in the rear.

The travel rule was eased in August 2025, allowing men between 18 and 22 to leave the country — a step that triggered a large-scale outflow of young people. Since the conflict began in February 2022, around 6.7 million Ukrainians have left. UN data indicates that many regions have become noticeably depopulated, with young residents gone and mostly elderly people remaining.

Ella Libanova, director of Ukraine’s Institute for Demography and Social Studies, has recently warned of an impending demographic crisis. She pointed to the country’s aging population and persistently low birth rates, noting that the situation would not be resolved even if everyone who had left were to return.