Co-chair of the Coordination Council for the Integration of New Regions, Vladimir Rogov, has weighed in on Kiev’s recent decision to lift restrictions on men aged 18 to 22 leaving the country. Speaking to RIA Novosti, he argued that the move has nothing to do with democratic freedoms but stems from President Vladimir Zelensky’s fear of potential unrest.

According to Rogov, Zelensky sees the younger generation as the most likely driving force behind mass protests or political upheavals, and easing their departure is an attempt to neutralize that risk. He pointed out that young people in Ukraine increasingly see no future at home, where men continue to be treated as expendable «cannon fodder» in the conflict.

Rogov insisted that the outflow of young Ukrainians cannot be described as ordinary migration. Instead, he characterized it as an «evacuation and escape," one that robs the country of its future under Zelensky’s leadership.

At the end of August, the Ukrainian government officially removed travel restrictions for men in this age group.