draft dodgers

EU extends Ukrainian temporary protection through 2028 with new military status rules

Decision of the European Union Council extending temporary protection for Ukrainians who fled following Russia's full-scale invasion was published in the Official Journal of the EU on Aug. 5, with updated criteria for some categories.

5 August, 09:47 AM

EU tightens rules for draft-eligible Ukrainians

The EU Council extended temporary legal protection for Ukrainians in EU countries through March 4, 2028, withholding those rights from draft-eligible men who broke military registration rules, Ukrainska Pravda reported on July 30.

31 July, 01:35 AM

Temporary protection extended until 2028: Stability for Ukrainians or recognition of a long war?

On July 15, EU member state ambassadors in Coreper agreed to extend temporary protection for Ukrainians by another year, until March 4, 2028. A few days later, the Council of the European Union formally approved the decision.

21 July, 04:30 PM

Ukraine, Germany discuss mechanisms to return military-age men

Ukraine and Germany are discussing mechanisms to return military-age Ukrainians who illegally fled the country, Ambassador to Germany Oleksii Makeiev said in an interview with Ukrinform on July 2.

3 July, 03:10 PM

Bundestag committee chair calls EU move on Ukrainian men a mistake

European Commission plans to stop granting temporary protection to Ukrainian men subject to mobilization are a mistake, Anton Hofreiter, a German Green Party politician and chair of the Bundestag’s Committee on European Union Affairs, said on June 27, ntv reported.

27 June, 11:08 PM

Ukrainian authorities uncover new schemes selling rear military posts and aiding draft dodging

Ukraine’s SBU Security Service, working with the State Bureau of Investigation, National Police, and in coordination with Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, has exposed four corruption schemes that allowed people to buy rear positions in the military or evade conscription using fake documents, the SBU reported on May 18.

18 May, 06:37 PM

Mobilization can't rely on repression alone, expert warns

Effective mobilization cannot be carried out solely through repressive methods, without tangible incentives, political scientist Ihor Reiterovych told NV Radio on April 27.

28 April, 02:52 AM

Ukrainian man flies light aircraft across Romanian border to dodge draft

A Ukrainian man crossed into Romania in a light aircraft to evade mobilization, Digi24 reported on March 9, publishing photos of the incident.

9 March, 06:20 PM

Civilians attack TCC officers during document check in Odesa

A group of civilians attacked Territorial Recruitment Center (TCC) military personnel in the Kyivskyi district of Odesa, using physical force and tear gas, the officers reported on Feb. 15.

16 February, 08:10 AM

Ukrainians flee from mobilization to Belarus in surging numbers

The number of draft-age Ukrainian men detained while trying to cross into Belarus increased four-fold in 2025 compared with 2024, according to an investigation by Slidstvo.Info and the Belarusian Investigative Center published on Jan. 13.

13 January, 10:48 PM

Discontent growing in Poland and Germany over influx of young men from Ukraine

Politicians in Germany and Poland, the EU's top hosts of Ukrainian refugees, are calling for a review of residency terms amid a surge in young men entering after Kyiv eased exit rules, Politico reported on Oct. 29.

29 October 2025, 06:03 PM

Polish police arrest two Ukrainian drivers for smuggling men in locomotives

Polish investigators in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship exposed a network smuggling Ukrainians in locomotives, local outlet RMF24 reported on Sept. 18.

18 September 2025, 02:15 PM

More draft-age Ukrainians are fleeing to Belarus

Twice as many draft-age Ukrainian men attempted to cross into Belarus in the first seven months of 2025 as in the entire previous three years of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian journalists at Slidstvo.info reported on Aug. 25.

26 August 2025, 02:11 AM

Two Russian Orthodox Church clergy in Zakarpattia accused of smuggling draft-eligible men for $10K — border guards

Two clergy members of the Russian Orthodox Church have been taken into custody in Zakarpattia Oblast on suspicion of attempting to illegally smuggle a draft-eligible man into Romania, Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service reported on May 12.

13 May 2025, 11:01 AM

Security Service detains four, including Constitutional Court official, in draft evasion schemes

Ukraine’s SBU Security Service and National Police dismantled several schemes enabling conscription evasion, arresting four key organizers, including a scientific consultant to a Constitutional Court judge, the SBU reported on Telegram on April 18.

18 April 2025, 05:30 PM

Kyiv deputy mayor charged in draft dodger smuggling, claims persecution

Ukraine’s SBU Security Service and National Police charged Kyiv Deputy Mayor Volodymyr Prokopiv on April 17 with orchestrating a scheme to smuggle draft dodgers into European Union countries, NV sources in law enforcement reported.

17 April 2025, 03:00 PM

Over 13,000 Ukrainians entered Romania illegally in 2024

In 2024, over 13,000 Ukrainian men illegally crossed the border into Romania, Florin Coman, head of the Territorial Inspectorate of the Border Police (ITPF) in Sighetu Marmației, announced on Feb. 25.

26 February 2025, 02:06 AM

Ukraine cracks down on networks trafficking draft dodgers

The National Police is conducting a large-scale operation across Ukraine to combat the illegal trafficking of draft-age men across the border, according to a statement posted on Facebook on Jan. 10.

10 January 2025, 10:40 AM

Vinnytsia military recruitment officer arrested on bribery charges

An employee of a local military recruitment center in Vinnytsia Oblast was arrested for enabling draft dodgers to avoid mobilization in exchange for bribes, Ukraine’s SBU security service reported on Jan. 6.

6 January 2025, 11:08 PM

Five men involved in traffic accident while fleeing border guards in Zakarpattya Oblast

Five men attempting to cross the border in Zakarpattya Oblast illegally were involved in a car crash while fleeing border guards, the State Border Guard Service reported on Facebook on Dec. 23.

23 December 2024, 09:45 PM

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