A record number of people left Ukraine due to shelling and changes to exit rules
According to the National Bank of Ukraine, Ukrainians are leaving the country in large numbers due to intensified shelling of civilian infrastructure, based on UN and Eurostat data.
From October 3 to November 14, 2025, about 128,000 people left Ukraine — almost as many as in the previous nine months.
As of November, the number of Ukrainian migrants abroad reached 5.9 million.
NBU analysts also note that one of the reasons for the mass departure was the granting of permission for men aged 18–22to leave the country.
A draft law No. 14210 has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada, proposing a temporary ban on leaving the country for Ukrainians who are reserved (i.e., exempt from mobilization due to their job) during mobilization and martial law.
