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Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Reluctant Conscripts

 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy banned men between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving Ukraine albeit with various exemptions.

Men who seek to leave Ukraine choose the route via Crimea, which was annexed by Russia. Others enrol in a foreign university, find a job as a volunteer emergency aid driver or try to cross the so-called green border on foot.

Social networks offer various tips. The Instagram account "Departure for Everyone" has more than 14,000 followers. 

 "Legal Move Abroad," a Telegram channel, has more than 53,000 followers.

 And its backup channel, "Help at the Border," has more than 28,000. 

In May, Odesa lawyer Alexander Gumirov launched a petition demanding Kyiv lift the ban on men travelling abroad and calling instead for the recruitment of volunteers. In just a few days, the petition gathered 25,000 signatures. Gumirow considers the ban pointless. "If a person wants to defend his free, beloved native country, his home and his family, there is no need for a ban on leaving," he said, adding that a ban is unnecessary, too, if people don't want to defend their home.

How Ukrainian men try to get around the ban to leave the country | Europe | News and current affairs from around the continent | DW | 19.07.2022

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