Description
Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine has implemented a travel ban prohibiting most men aged 18-60 from leaving the country. In addition, a recent mobilization law, implemented in May 2024, expands recruitment mandates and imposes stricter penalties for those who fail to comply. Despite these measures, draft evasion remains a growing issue, with an estimated 946,000 men fleeing to the EU alone to avoid mobilization. While public discourse often addresses the military challenges posed by this exodus, little attention has been paid to the individual experiences, narratives and challenges of the men who defy the law and choose to leave. How do these men make sense of their decision to flee instead of fighting, and in what way does this decision both reflect and redefine their gendered and national identities as men and as Ukrainians? Drawing on in-depth interviews with Ukrainian men who fled the war, the study examines how these men navigate intersecting experiences of guilt, fear, agency, and freedom of choice. Offering unique empirical insights into contemporary experiences of draft evasion in modern international warfare, this article contributes to a deeper understanding of how the war and mobilization policies shape masculine identities and social hierarchies in Ukraine.
