The former prisoner of war was not allowed to go abroad. The Ministry of Defense responded

Former prisoner of war Yevhen Shybalov saidhe said that border guards did not want to let him go abroad. The Ministry of Defense explainedthe Ministry of Defense said that the veteran had to register his deferment in advance.

The incident occurred at the Rava-Ruska checkpoint when Shybalov was traveling by bus to Warsaw. According to the soldier, all the passengers on the bus had documents to travel abroad, while he, the only one who served in the army, was not allowed to leave.

Shybalov noted that as a former prisoner of war, he is not subject to mandatory mobilization.

"On the other [hand], former prisoners have the right to return to the army voluntarily, so they formally remain liable for military service," the man said.

He explained that he was going to the conference at the invitation of Emily Channell-Justice, a researcher at the Ukrainian Research Institute of Harvard University.

Subsequently, according to Shibalov, border guards sent a request to the central office of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine in Kyiv, after which he was allowed to cross the border.

The man was put on the next bus and helped to get to the airport in Warsaw. The veteran also said that upon his return he plans to apply to the territorial recruitment center for a deferment.

Instead, the Ministry of Defense stated that at the time Shybalov published the post, a decision had not yet been made to refuse him to cross the state border. After communication at the border and additional examination of documents and circumstances, the SBGS management allowed him to leave Ukraine, the ministry said.

"Persons released from captivity do have the right to defer mobilization and, accordingly, to travel abroad. At the same time, this deferral must be arranged in advance. The first time – by contacting the MCC and JV. Then you can apply online through Reserve+," the ministry said.

• on January 28, SBGS spokesman Demchenko saidthe National Statistics Service reported that in 2025 the number of people who traveled abroad increased by 5% compared to 2024. In total, 37 million people crossed the border of Ukraine last year.