The lives of teenagers in Ukraine have changed beyond recognition since the start of the full-scale invasion. In addition to the constant threat of shelling, another fear appeared on the horizon — a possible lowering of the mobilization age. This issue is actively discussed in Ukraine and abroad, causing concern among young people and their parents.
According to the British edition of The Times , many teenagers consider studying abroad as a way to avoid not only war, but also the possibility of being mobilized.
17-year-old Dmytro from Kharkiv shared his plans:
"I am going to study in Poland. It is safer there, there are no bombs and there is no risk that I will be mobilized without my consent. After graduation, I will decide whether to return home."
His friend, also Dmytro, expresses similar concerns:
"It is difficult to study here because of constant explosions and power outages. That's why I'm going too."
According to EU data, since the beginning of the war, more than 190,000 Ukrainian boys aged 14 to 17 have been registered as refugees in European countries.
Ukrainian MP Oleksandra Ustinova confirmed that lowering the mobilization age could have catastrophic consequences. In conversations with US representatives, she noted that such a move would provoke a mass exodus of families with children and the loss of a generation.
"If we want to lose the future generation, then this is what needs to be done," said Ustinova.
In the international context, the issue of teenage mobilization is becoming a topic of discussion, because the Ukrainian authorities are balancing between the needs of the front and the risk of losing public trust.
Young people's plans to leave Ukraine are not only a fear of mobilization, but also a desire to avoid the conditions of war: shelling, power outages and general stress. European universities become for many Ukrainian teenagers not only an educational perspective, but also a protection.
At the same time, Ukraine faces a difficult task: to maintain the trust of young people, provide them with a future at home, and avoid political and social upheavals.
