Ukraine detained 50,000 men trying to flee since war began

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to media during a press briefing after his phone talks with the US president, in Kyiv, on May 19, 2025. [AFP]

Ukrainian border guards have prevented tens of thousands of military service-age men from illegally leaving the country since the start of Russia's invasion, a spokesman for the border guard told AFP Wednesday.

Under martial law, most Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 have been barred from leaving the country, unless they receive an official permission or qualify for an exemption.