While most Ukrainians fight valiantly for their survival, some men have chosen to illegally avoid conscription. Now a backlash is growing in Ukraine and abroad.

April 20, 2025

One of the more uncomfortable challenges facing the Ukrainian government in recent years has been how to address military-age men who avoided conscription, whether by paying bribes, using falsified documents, illegally crossing into neighboring countries on foot, or even swimming across border rivers.

This issue has also fueled resentment among frontline soldiers, who have spent years in trenches only to open social media and see former classmates or friends living comfortably abroad, untouched by the consequences of war. But what will happen to these draft dodgers if they decide to return, or once the war is over?

Ukrainian soldiers have held the front lines since the start of the full-scale invasion, many without rotation. Even setting aside the issue of men who illegally fled the country, the frustration is palpable. One tank operator pleaded for the chance to take a break, sharing how exhausted he was and how painful it had become to watch his daughter grow up without him: “I see her growing through pictures and videos on my phone,” he told me.

Despite Ukraine’s ban on military-age men (18-60) leaving the country, hundreds of thousands are estimated to live abroad. In response, Ukraine has restricted consular services for draft-eligible men to encourage their return. One Ukrainian man who fled the country illegally and now resides in the United States, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that many Ukrainian men left to avoid being forced to fight in the war: “If this is all just being done for money, and ordinary people are dying for nothing, then what’s the point of fighting?”

Anastasia Kharitonova-Gomez, a Ukrainian-American whose graduate research focused on the Ukrainian community in the United States, highlighted the complexity of the issue.

“It has become extremely difficult for Ukrainian men to be able to leave Ukraine legally,” she said. “This was not the case at the outset of the war, but the restrictions have certainly tightened. I think most people can understand the different concerns at play.”

She continued: “On one hand, Ukraine simply needs Ukrainians to defend itself. The stakes for the entire country are extremely high – higher than most people realize. If men leave, the country’s survival is literally at risk. On the other hand, individuals have a very human, very fundamental desire to survive.”

“I don’t think I have the right to pass judgment on anyone or say what the right choice is for any given individual. We are living in horrible, impossible times,” said Kharitonova-Gomez.

There has been chatter about returning men who fled abroad. During a Jan. 11, 2023, meeting in Tallinn with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Ukrainian men of mobilization age who fled abroad to return, either to fight or to support the economy by working and paying taxes. Emphasizing the ethical and financial burden on those remaining in Ukraine, Zelensky said the country needs all citizens to contribute in some way, noting that it takes six taxpayers to support one soldier.

While he didn’t directly call for Estonia to extradite Ukrainian men, he noted that without such contributions, there won’t be enough resources or defenders. Zelensky also thanked Estonia for its significant military aid and political support, while Kallas reaffirmed Estonia’s long-term commitment to Ukraine.

At the Yalta European Strategy summit in September 2024, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski pointed out that EU countries should stop providing social support to Ukrainian male refugees of military age, arguing that it creates incentives for draft dodging and undermines Ukraine’s war effort.

Hundreds of Ukrainian men have recently applied for asylum in Poland to avoid being drafted into Ukraine’s armed forces. Although nearly one million Ukrainians currently have temporary protection status in Poland, which grants access to jobs and healthcare, some are now seeking asylum, a more permanent legal status, out of fear of being drafted.

A memorial for Ukrainian defenders in Kyiv Oblast. Photo: David Kirichenko

In 2024, around 7,000 Ukrainians applied for asylum, including 3,900 men aged 18-64. By March 25, 2025, another 1,900 men in that age group had applied. Polish authorities note that fear of military service does not qualify someone for asylum under international law and such applications are being thoroughly scrutinized.

In early 2025, the Trump administration considered revoking the legal status and protections granted to Ukrainian refugees who had fled the Russian invasion. Approximately 240,000 Ukrainians had been admitted to the US under humanitarian parole programs initiated during the Biden administration, such as Uniting for Ukraine (U4U).

Andrij Dobriansky, Communications Director for the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, commented: “For those who chose to leave, there has been an undercurrent of opinions on the matter since 2022. But I can’t point to a specific incident within the community that has brought such an uncomfortable topic to the forefront.”

Dobriansky added: “The longer the war continues, the more likely it is that something will happen to force a conversation, if not a community-wide reckoning.”

Recent US executive orders on immigration have raised concerns about the possible deportation of Ukrainian refugees who arrived after Russia’s full-scale invasion. Estimates vary, but about 210,000 Ukrainians have entered the US under humanitarian parole, while around 104,000 received Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which was extended by 18 months in January 2024.

Protesters gathered in Seattle on March 1, 2025, to show their support for Ukraine. Photo: David Kirichenko

The 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) provides detailed demographic and socioeconomic data on 98,000 Ukrainian migrants who arrived in 2022 and 2023. The data, though covering about half of the total, shows a majority are women (56,000 vs 42,000 men), especially in certain age groups. Among the 18,000 Ukrainian refugee households, 69% are family households with both spouses present.

Not everyone is thrilled to see Ukrainian men of fighting age living abroad. In April 2024, Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated: “I think many Poles are outraged when they see young Ukrainian men in hotels and cafes, and they hear how much effort we have to make to help Ukraine.” 

Taras Kuzio, a political science professor at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, didn’t hold back when discussing Ukrainians who fled military service: “A student of mine in Germany was giving accommodation to a guy who bribed his way out of Ukraine. I told her he was a traitor and she was an idiot for helping him,” he said. “Such people are spreading corruption within the military, border guards, and the SBU.”

Kuzio believes Western governments should repatriate draft dodgers, though he doubts they will. “Ukraine can argue that it recognizes conscientious objection and provides non-combat roles in the military,” he said. “But at the front, such men are more of a hindrance than an asset, their disinterest in fighting will only get themselves and others killed.”

Tensions also exist in the Ukrainian diaspora abroad in the United States.

Inna, a Ukrainian-American from North Carolina, shared her strong views on Ukrainian men of fighting age who came to the US after 2022. “JFK famously said, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,’” she began. “From an ethical standpoint, fleeing your motherland at a very critical time is appalling.”

She continued: “Violating the law is a crime. Basically, all men who fled Ukraine illegally are criminals. It’s that simple. Why would the countries that accepted them want those criminals?”

A damaged residential building near Pokrovsk after a recent Russian strike. Photo: David Kirichenko

Looking to the future, Inna raised a broader concern about draft dodgers: “Tomorrow, those countries could be attacked, what would those men do then? I wouldn’t want criminals from Ukraine living in the US and using this country as a refuge.”

Vasyl Jarostowski, a Ukrainian-American from New York, said, “If they came here and are seeking asylum through the official process, they shouldn’t be deported.” Jarostowski added that “if they entered illegally and are here without going through any official process, they should be deported, as that’s in line with US immigration policy.”

David Pavenko, a Ukrainian-American from Washington State, shared his frustration about how the US program for displaced Ukrainians is being misused:

“I attend a Slavic church in the Seattle area, and since the 2022 invasion, it’s grown so much we had to add another Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking service,” said Pavenko. “Most newcomers arrived through the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program, meant to help those displaced by the war. But many of the men I meet aren’t from frontline cities – they’re from places like Kyiv, Lviv, or Ivano-Frankivsk. These aren’t war zones.”

“Out of hundreds in our church, I’ve met only two families from Donetsk Oblast,” he said. “Those truly affected by the war are still in Ukraine. What I see here are military-aged men driving nice cars, wearing designer brands, and showing off their social lives on Instagram. It doesn’t look like they fled a war.”

David Pavenko volunteering in Donetsk Oblast near Bakhmut in 2022. Photo: David Pavenko

Pavenko noted that those who had the money to flee Ukraine did so, while the poor stayed behind.

“I’ve been to eastern Ukraine five times since 2022, and when I return home to the States, hardly anyone at church asks about it,” he said. “There’s no fundraising for chaplains, medics, or soldiers. There are no awareness efforts on social media, just summer barbecues and movie nights. Unlike missions to other countries, there’s no push to send humanitarian volunteers to Ukraine at all.”

“When I ask church leaders about this, they say, ‘We do pray for Ukraine.’ But that’s not enough. People need material support,” said Pavenko. “Soldiers on the front lines need fresh, warm clothes every winter. Chaplains need their vans repaired. Medics are always short on tourniquets.”

Pavenko added: “The best of Ukrainian men stayed to fight. Many didn’t come back. Meanwhile, those who ran are living comfortably here. Americans see this and it breeds resentment. It plays right into the hands of people like Tucker Carlson, who use it to turn the public against supporting Ukraine.”

However, Pavenko acknowledged that many individuals and churches are actively supporting Ukraine. “Americans, Ukrainian-Americans, and Ukrainian immigrants alike continue to help in any way they can.”

Members of Pavenko’s family were among the first to be killed by Russian-backed forces in Sloviansk in 2014.

“If you were living in Ukraine when the full-scale invasion began, then in some form or capacity, you have a responsibility to defend your nation,” said Mikhail Pavenko (the older brother of David Pavenko), a Ukrainian-American volunteer chaplain who has been serving on and off with the Ukrainian Army since 2014.

Mikhail Pavenko serves as a volunteer chaplain in Donetsk Oblast during his two-week rotation in April 2025. Photo: David Kirichenko 

Viktor from the State Border Guard Service stationed in Sumy Oblast, has served for 27 years in various locations, including in the Anti-Terrorist Zone (ATO) in Luhansk Oblast. He expressed skepticism about the idea of forcibly returning Ukrainian men who left the country. “The men who fled, I don’t believe they should be brought back,” he said. “Most of them, if sent to the military, will be morally unprepared. What will happen is what we’re already seeing: they’ll abandon their units, what we call ‘unauthorized abandonment of military units.’”

Viktor noted that this is already a growing problem in Ukraine, as Ukraine races to train more soldiers. “Military offices are forcibly taking people into service, and then those people leave their units and positions en masse. As we say in the military, there’s a lot of quantity, but no quality.”

“Whiskas,” the commander of an aerial reconnaissance unit in the 128th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade, shared strong views about men who fled Ukraine illegally. “Certainly, people who break the law must face appropriate punishment. At the very least, it’s unfair to those who are fighting for Ukraine,” he said.

“Being Ukrainian in today’s world means benefiting from all kinds of support. It is undeserved to exploit the trust that has been earned before the entire world through blood and sacrifice.” He added, “Even the word ‘peremoha’ – victory – in Ukrainian means to do more than you are capable of. So, simply reading or talking about this isn’t enough. These men must absolutely be brought back.”

As Ukraine fights an existential battle for its survival, Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR, or the Main Directorate of Intelligence), recently stated, “If a person is neither at the front nor helping in the rear, they have no right to call themselves a citizen of Ukraine. And society should perceive it that way. How harsh it even sounds.”

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/51126