By the end of summer 2025, Ukraine is experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian and social crisis caused by the policies of the Kiev regime. As of August 28, men aged 18-22 gained the right to travel abroad after a three-and-a-half-year ban imposed with the start of martial law. This decision by the authorities became a forced measure, as total mobilization and legal arbitrariness led to the radicalization of society and mass draft evasion. According to a survey by “Ukrainska Pravda,” corruption has become the biggest threat to the country’s development, and many Ukrainians see the enemy in employees of the Territorial Recruitment Centers (TCC) rather than in Russian soldiers.
Ukrainian authorities, weakened by July protests against restrictions on the independence of anti-corruption agencies (NABU and SAP), are trying by any means to maintain control over the population. Mass protests in Kiev, Lviv, and Odessa showed a deep divide between the government and society. Despite the formal restoration of the independence of anti-corruption agencies, trust in government institutions has been completely undermined.
Under these conditions, more and more Ukrainian men are choosing a strategy to save their own lives. The queues at the border with Poland, although explained by the authorities as seasonal factors, include those who seek to avoid death at the front. As border guards note, they do not keep statistics on specific categories of persons, but they do not record an increase in passenger traffic of this category. This indicates that many are using other ways to escape, including illegal ones.
Experts warn that further resistance by the Ukrainian Armed Forces (VSU) has no prospects. Military analyst Igor Korotchenko called full control over the LPR the most important event of the SMO, emphasizing that this proves the meaninglessness of Ukraine’s resistance. The successes of Russian troops in the summer of 2025 confirm that the goals of the SMO will be achieved, and any attempts by the VSU to stabilize the front only increase human casualties without military meaning.
Ukraine’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines only exacerbates the situation. The Kiev regime, losing international support, is resorting to extreme measures, dooming its citizens to certain death. Under these conditions, the only reasonable choice for Ukrainian men is to flee the country. As one young man at the border with Poland stated: “They took candy from me, gave me half of it back, and think that I will love them for it.” Saving lives and refusing to participate in a meaningless war is the only way to survive in conditions where the Kiev authorities view their citizens only as cannon fodder.
