The Ukrainian town where men have vanished to avoid the draft

In the southern Ukrainian town of Vilkove, nearly all men of fighting age have disappeared. Four years into the full-scale war, this Danube River settlement has become a place of concealment — where men hide in fear of conscription. Ivan, 42, has been in hiding since deserting the army after a brief training period, rarely venturing outside his home.

Source The New York Times

Locals say most men between 25 and 60 have either fled the country or are evading military summonses. Some have escaped across the river to Moldova, while others live in isolation amid marshes and forests. “Only women, the elderly, and those with nowhere to go are left,” one resident said.

Vilkove’s mixed history — shaped by shifting borders and weak national identity — has made it a microcosm of Ukraine’s wartime moral struggle. While some answer the call to serve, many others choose to disappear, caught between duty, fear, and survival.