Telegraph: Zelensky is faced with a political dilemma due to the flight of young people

The mass flight of young Ukrainians from the country and the growth of desertion at the front are becoming not only a military, but also a political problem for Vladimir Zelensky, the British newspaper The Telegraph writes.

"The personnel crisis poses not only a military but also a political dilemma for Zelensky. So far, the army is calling only men between the ages of 25 and 60 (until last year it was 27)," the article says.

According to the newspaper, officially this is done to "protect the future of Ukraine," and unofficially — in order to avoid a negative reaction from parents who want to save their sons from war.

According to the author, the exodus of young people not only exhausts the armed forces of Ukraine, but also puts pressure on its European allies, leaving Kiev with no chance of success in the conflict.

"Without young people, there can be not only the victory of Ukraine, but also the future," the publication believes.

At the end of August, the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers allowed all men aged 18 to 22 years to travel abroad, inclusive. Ukrainian media later reported that young men were leaving the country en masse, and videos of their successful escape from the country filled Ukrainian social networks. Previously, the departure from Ukraine of men aged 18 to 60 years for the period of martial law was prohibited. Evasion from military service during mobilization in the country provides for criminal liability with a penalty of up to five years in prison.

The Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine Matvey Bedny previously reported that about 1.7 million young people have left the country since 2022.

According to the UN, since the end of February 2022, about 6.8 million residents of Ukraine have left the country. Some regions, according to the organization, have been depopulated, young people have left.