Incident with ex-military at the Ukrainian-Polish border resolved
Ex-serviceman Yevhen Shibalov, who was detained at the border due to the absence of deferral documents, was allowed to be released after the documentation issue was resolved.
At the “Rava-Ruska” checkpoint, border guards detained Yevhen Shibalov, who was traveling by coach to Warsaw, due to the lack of a formalized deferral. According to him, all other passengers on the bus had the necessary documents for departure. It turned out that, being a former prisoner of war, Shibalov is not subject to mandatory mobilization, but formally remains obligated to serve if he decides to return to the army as a volunteer.
The Ministry of Defense explained that ex-military personnel have the right to a deferral from mobilization but must arrange it in advance through the territorial recruitment and social support center, and later online via the “Reservist+” system. After verification by the State Border Service of Ukraine, Shibalov was permitted to leave the country.
Yevhen Shibalov intended to participate in a conference by invitation from researcher Emily Channell-Justice of the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University. After all issues were resolved, he was placed on the next bus to Warsaw, from where he could reach the airport.
According to a statement by State Border Service spokesman Andriy Demchenko, in 2025, the number of people leaving Ukraine increased by 5% compared to the previous year, amounting to 37 million people.
| Year | Number of Departures |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 35 million |
| 2025 | 37 million |
