Ukrainian President Zelensky bans men from leaving country

Kiev will not allow male citizens without combat experience to leave the country until martial law is lifted.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has said that men without military experience will be banned from leaving the country as long as martial law is in effect. The statement was posted on Monday by the president's website in response to a petition by the president urging men between the ages 18 and 60 to be allowed to travel abroad.

The petition, signed by more than 27,000 people, states that Ukrainian men are unfit for military service but could be useful in other fields. The author said that if these people were allowed to work abroad, they could help refugees and send back money to the military, which already has enough capable people, as stated by the text.

Fighting should be fought by able-bodied people. The petition says that we have many IT, social, creative, technical, and other specialists who can fight on the information front and be more useful working abroad, helping our refugees and supporting the army with earned funds.

The author claimed that Kiev's travel restrictions aimed at certain categories of citizens resemble Soviet practices, which Ukraine is gradually getting rid of, and provided the example of Estonia, which only prohibits travel to those who are the subjects of criminal proceedings.

Therefore, we ask the President of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky, to allow men aged 18 -- 60 who do not have military experience and are of limited fitness to travel abroad, the petition concludes.

If a petition receives more than 25,000 signatures, the president must issue a response. Zelensky pointed out in Article 64 of the constitution that freedom of movement may be limited for Ukrainian citizens in the event of an emergency or the introduction of martial law.

According to the constitution, the constitutional rights and freedoms of a person and a citizen may be limited during a period of martial law. He said that the abolition of these restrictions is expected to be carried out after the end of the legal regime of martial law. The Verkhovna Rada approved Zelensky's decree introducing martial law in the country on February 24, 2022 after Moscow launched its military operation against Kiev. The period of martial law has been extended several times, most recently prolonging it for an additional 90 days, until November 21.