Overview

• Prime Minister Julija Swyrydenko announced that men aged 18 to 22 may cross the border without restriction during martial law, including those already abroad, with the rule taking effect the day after official publication.
• The longstanding exit ban for men 18 to 60 remains for others, and conscription policy limits compulsory frontline deployment to those 25 and older, so the shift does not immediately affect mobilization.
• Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said the goal is to expand access to education abroad so skills can benefit Ukraine upon return.
• Separately, the government submitted a bill to criminalize illegal departures and failures to return, proposing fines and possible prison terms, though parliamentary leaders have questioned its chances.
• Border pressures persist, with Romanian authorities reporting over 5,000 Ukrainian men crossing into Romania in the first seven months of 2025 and more than 26,000 since the war began, alongside reports of fortified barriers and arrests by Ukrainian guards.