More young Ukrainian men are seeking refuge in the United Kingdom after a law change last year allowed those aged 18 to 22 to leave the country. The shift comes as the conflict with Russia continues and raises questions about Ukraine’s future military manpower.
Ukrainian Men Seek Safety in the UK
Nikita, 22, from Kharkiv, crossed the border into Moldova with his girlfriend, Victoria, 21, on Boxing Day and subsequently flew to the UK. He knew he had to reach the UK before turning 23. Russia’s full invasion began in February 2022, and Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 were initially banned from leaving the country under martial law.
In August, President Zelensky changed the law, permitting men between 18 and 22 to leave, with the hope they would eventually return and volunteer to fight. Since then, tens of thousands have taken the opportunity to depart.
Nikita reunited with his mother, Oksana, who fled to the UK shortly after the war began when her pharmacy in Kharkiv was bombed. Oksana has since settled in Norwich with a British-Latvian partner and their one-year-old son, Viktor.
Approximately 227,000 Ukrainians have come to live in the UK since the Russian invasion. As of early 2024, the Migration Observatory reported that 70 percent of Ukrainian adults in the UK are women, and around 27 percent of arrivals are children. Men aged 18 to 60 must demonstrate exemption from military service to be allowed to leave Ukraine.
Between August 28 and November 26, 238 Ukrainian men aged 18-22 applied to the charity Refugees at Home, a government-recognized provider for the Homes for Ukraine visa route. That figure decreased to 18 for the same period in 2024.
Reasons cited by applicants for leaving Ukraine included reuniting with family and friends, damage to homes, and anxiety caused by “the constant sound of explosions,” according to a spokesman for Refugees at Home.
‘It’s Amazing to See My Mother Again’
Nikita said he struggled being separated from his mother at the start of the war. “It was really very hard but I am a man and didn’t have a choice,” he said through a translator in Brighton. “It was very important to me that my mum was safe.”
“I didn’t see my mother in all these years. It’s amazing to see her again. The main goal [of leaving Ukraine] was to reunite with the family, to see my brother and mother and new stepfather.”
Nikita volunteered to join the army at 18 but was rejected due to his age. He was working as an administrator in a restaurant when the law changed last year.
“This law was a good opportunity for lots of boys of my age,” he said. “In the restaurant I saw that, for example, there were seven boys of my age working there and after the law passed five of them left immediately. I was the sixth one, so six boys from seven left Ukraine. It could mean a lack of military force in the future, but we really hope the war ends and it won’t be the case.”
Lauren Scott, chief executive of Refugees at Home, said, “Since the law has changed, more young men, some of whom have life-changing injuries, have been able to reunite with their loved ones, seek support and escape the front lines of a brutal, prolonged invasion.”
“The increase in men under the age of 23 wanting to seek sanctuary in the UK is a stark reminder that nobody is safe from war and violence. At that age, most young people are starting careers, spending time with their friends and travelling the world. As the UK’s largest independent hosting charity, we welcome any measure that enables more people to pursue a normal life away from bombs and bullets.”
‘I’m Happy I Don’t See Death All Day’
Zelensky’s law change also aimed to prevent families from sending teenage sons out of Ukraine before their 18th birthday to avoid conscription, which begins at age 25. Many men have also left Ukraine illegally to avoid being drafted.
“Of course I would like to come back when the war finishes because I have all my life, memories, friends, grandad, grandmother in Ukraine,” Nikita said. “For those men who cross the border illegally, of course it would be frightening for them to come back, so they probably won’t do that.”
Nikita is unsure what he will do when he turns 25. “I can’t tell and I don’t want to say the lie just to look good. We all pray and hope the war will finish soon.”
Nikita says most of his peers have gone to other European countries, including Latvia, the Netherlands, Germany, and Spain, because it is easier to obtain visas there than for the UK, which is currently only available through the Homes for Ukraine scheme. He also has a friend who left Ukraine at 17 and now lives in Scotland.
He and Victoria spent New Year’s with his mother in Norwich and then moved to Brighton, where they have a room provided by a sponsor they found on Facebook. Their immediate goals are to learn English and find work. “I already curated my CV and I hope to find a job. I’m young and am ready to work,” he said.
He feels safe in the UK and is enjoying the local fish and chips. “I am happy I don’t see a war, I don’t see missiles near my house, the houses of my friends, and I don’t see death all day. I really need to say thank you to UK people for supporting Ukrainian people, it’s really important for us.”
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