State Border Service of Ukraine has denied reports that more than 500,000 young people left Ukraine in six months
The State Border Service has denied reports that more than half a million young Ukrainians have left the country over the past six months.
This was stated by State Border Service spokesman Andrii Demchenko in comments to the media, according to Censor.NET.
Statement by a member of parliament
Earlier, Serhii Nahorniak, a member of parliament from the Servant of the People faction, stated that the scale of youth migration from Ukraine had reached critical levels. According to him, in the last six months alone, more than 500,000 young people have left the country.
According to the "servant," the State Border Service estimates that the figures are "terrible" for the country, and the main problem is that it is mainly able-bodied young people who are leaving.
"We are talking about just these six months — at least according to estimates by border guards themselves, somewhere more than half a million young people have left the country. And when you arrive in Warsaw on a business trip and want to call a car, only Ukrainians come to you," the MP emphasized.
He also compared that Warsaw and Kyiv now differ only in the availability of light and heat.
"The number of Ukrainians in Warsaw today is crazy. Practically in every restaurant, café, shop, or taxi, every second person is Ukrainian. And they are all young people," said Nahorniak.
In his opinion, the issue of returning young people is crucial for the country's future, as Ukraine is already experiencing an acute shortage of human resources.
Refutation by the State Tax Service of Ukraine
At the same time, Demchenko said that this information is not true. According to him, the number of young people who have left Ukraine is significantly lower.
"The State Border Guard Service did not provide such data and did not make such assessments. Although the State Border Service of Ukraine only keeps general statistics on border crossings, without breaking them down by age and gender, data from the media, which often refers to the control services of countries bordering Ukraine, shows that the number of Ukrainian men aged 18-22 crossing the border to enter those countries is significantly lower."
Departure of young people aged 18-22
- After men aged 18-22 were allowed to leave in September 2025, the largest wave occurred in the first month. According to Polish border guards, more than 120,000 young men left for Poland in three months, but more than half of them returned.
- During this period, almost 44,000 young Ukrainians left for Romania, and about 10,000 left for Slovakia, with a significant portion also returning. The total number of permanent departures for this age group is estimated at 78,000 people.
