Escape or responsibility: 17-year-old boys are being taken out of Ukraine en masse and what the state should do about it
4 June 2025 14:55
Against the backdrop of a full-scale war in Ukraine, a hidden but very painful process is underway: thousands of families are taking their 17-year-old sons abroad. Some see it as a betrayal, others as an attempt to save lives. Educators, the military, and experts speak about it in different languages, but with the same concern. Why do parents take their sons to Europe a year before the draft? And most importantly, where is the line between escape and betrayal? Is it really possible to flee the country and remain a citizen? Read more in the article
Despite the massive departure of underage boys from Ukraine, Ukrainian higher education remains attractive to them. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Education Mykhailo Vynnytsky in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
“We all know that mothers take their 17-year-old sons abroad. What do we see in the statistics? Those 17- and 18-year-olds, while abroad, write NMT. Because 20,000 of those registered for the NMT this year registered to write the NMT while they were abroad,” Vynnytsky said.
According to the deputy minister, this year’s testing for Ukrainian graduates will be held in 55 centers in 34 countries.
Despite fleeing mobilization, most of those who leave the country at the age of 17 do not break ties with their homeland – they plan to pursue Ukrainian higher education. Some of them even return to Ukraine to enter universities.
According to Vynnytsky, there are currently about a million students enrolled in Ukrainian universities, and a significant number of them are full-time students.
The military calls students’ departure abroad an escape
However, the military and recruiting agencies have a harsher view of the situation with 17-year-olds leaving the country.
“This is running away when you prepare your son for the fact that he will not serve and take him abroad in advance. You run away from the country like rats run away from a ship,” said Taras Shvaika, deputy head of the recruitment center of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The public debate about the line between the right to education and responsibility to the state is heating up. Some parents are trying to protect their children from the war. Others consider it a betrayal.
It’s not just an escape, it’s a survival strategy: an expert explains why Ukrainian families take 17-year-old boys abroad
In the context of resonant statements by the military and educators about the mass departure of 17-year-old boys from Ukraine, education expert Mykola Skyba in an exclusive commentary
explained why parents make such decisions – and why society should avoid simplistic assessments.
“There are no real numbers. The statistics is partially closed. But it is known that boys are taken from the western regions more often because it is physically easier to cross the border and negotiate there,” Skiba said.
According to the expert, the reasons go deeper than simple unwillingness to serve. They are the accumulated exhaustion, fear, disappointment and lack of vision for the future.
“We have been living in a full-scale war for four years now. Fatigue, fear, disappointment – all this is accumulating. People are starting to think not about heroism, but about how to survive and ensure the future of their children,” explains Mykola Skyba.
At the same time, the expert warns against a social split between “those who stayed” and “those who left.” “People who left remain shaped by Ukrainian culture. We need to keep in touch with them, the education expert believes
“There are many cases when guys return to Ukraine and interrupt their studies abroad. It is important for them to have a sense that they are needed as full-fledged citizens and to count on something,” says Mykola Skyba.
Skiba emphasizes that the main task is honest and adult communication.
“Young people are growing up fast. They expect an honest dialog: what awaits them, what the rules of the game are, what they can expect. The state needs to demonstrate dignity in service, education, and work. Otherwise, how do we differ from the enemy?” Mykola Skyba said.
The expert calls for a comprehensive approach: to look for solutions not only in politics or power structures, but also in education, psychology, anthropology, demography, and economics. This situation is unprecedented. There are no easy answers, but we must look for them together so that young people do not become easy prey for external or internal manipulators, the education expert summarizes. “So that they stay not only physically but also emotionally inside the country.
There are even worse examples: some people choose betrayal rather than escape
While some Ukrainian families take their children abroad in search of safety and education without breaking ties with Ukraine, there are those who finally go over to the enemy.
For example, the Ukrainian traitor gymnasts no longer represent just another country – they glorify the state that is destroying Ukrainian cities. We are talking about 17-year-old Victoria Chumakova and 11-year-old Anastasia Ivanova, both from occupied Donetsk, who are now performing for the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team. In 2024, Chumakova won the Russian Cup in the individual all-around, and Ivanova is already being called a “Muscovite” in the Russian media.
The Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation (UGF) appealed to the International Gymnastics Federation to revoke the so-called “neutral status” under which these athletes were allowed to participate in international competitions.
“This is a direct violation of the principles of neutrality and a moral blow to Ukrainian society,” the UVG said in an official letter.
This example shows how the fine line between escape and betrayal can be completely erased when children from the occupied territories not only leave Ukraine, but publicly renounce their identity.
