Ukraine is experiencing not only military challenges, but also a new social crisis: adolescents are planning to emigrate massively because of the threat of decreased mobilization age. This topic has become the subject of analysis of the British edition of The Times .
Teens of Kharkiv, one of the cities that suffered the most suffered from Russian aggression, openly admit that they are threatened not only from shelling, but also through possible mobilization.
"Many of my friends now choose study abroad because it is safer there. There is no risk at a foreign university to be taken to the army," says 17-year-old Dmitry.
For him, the idea of going to Poland is not just an educational choice, but a way to avoid war.
Another teenager from Kharkiv also supports a friend, explaining that military training has become almost impossible:
"It is so difficult to study here when there are explosions on the street and are constantly switching off electricity."
According to the EU, more than 190,000 boys aged 14-17 have become refugees in European countries. Parents prefer to export children abroad, as it guarantees them safety and avoiding potential mobilization.
MP Oleksandr Ustinova, who actively cooperates with the United States in the supply of weapons, shared that Western partners often ask why Ukraine does not attract a younger generation of men to the army.
Ustinova replies that this can be a social explosion:
"Inside Ukraine would have a huge resistance ... It would be a clear signal for families to take out our children. So, if we want to lose the future generation, then yes, that's what we need to do."
The situation with increasing emigration of young people is concerned. According to the respondents, most teenagers are perceived abroad as the only way to keep the future. However, the massive outflow of young people can seriously undermine the country's demographic potential.
