(MENAFN) Ukrainian authorities have announced that, starting next month, journalists and cultural figures will be banned from leaving the country. This move comes as the government faces difficulties in replenishing its military losses during the ongoing conflict with Russia.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications, the ban follows an issue where too many citizens took advantage of letters of assistance issued by the ministry, which allowed them to obtain permission from the State Border Service to travel abroad. While these permits were granted temporarily, many individuals who left failed to return to Ukraine.


The ministry attributed the problem to loopholes in national laws, which it began attempting to address in 2022 but have yet to be fully resolved. As of March 3, the issuance of such letters will be suspended, and new regulations will impose strict criteria for granting permission to men of draft age working in the cultural or media sectors.
Ministry adviser Dmitry Zolotukhin noted that over 500 men who left the country in 2024 under the assistance program did not return, and criminal investigations are underway for each case. Since the general mobilization began in February 2022, most men aged 18 to 60 have been barred from leaving Ukraine, with conscription regulations tightening further last year, lowering the recruitment age from 27 to 25.

Recruitment officers have increasingly resorted to forceful methods to track down potential draftees, leading to violent confrontations with citizens who resist conscription. Some have attempted to flee the country, risking their lives in the process.

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