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Paper short abstract

During martial law, most Ukrainian men cannot legally leave. Some cross borders undocumented through mountains, forests, or rivers. Thе presentation reveals the key characteristics of this emerging migration phenomenon.

Paper long abstract

The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has transformed the migration dynamics of the Ukrainian population, particularly affecting the gender composition of migrants. During martial law, men of conscription age are largely prohibited from legally leaving Ukraine. Some seek alternative ways to cross the border by traveling undocumented through mountains, forests, or rivers.

The undocumented border crossings by Ukrainian men who leave the country despite legal restrictions is a largely overlooked phenomenon. This case represents a unique form of undocumented migration. Traditionally, undocumented migration refers to people entering a destination country without legal authorization. In contrast, this research focuses on individuals who do not have the legal right to exit their country of origin — a reversal of the conventional pattern that makes the case of Ukrainian men undocumented crossing the border especially significant in migration studies.

The presentation employs the primary source material consists of autobiographical video testimonies published on a public YouTube channels. Over 300 stories had been published on these channels. I included in my sample 30 video testimonies selected using a systematic sampling method in my sample.

The study identified:

• Three types of preparation for undocumented border crossing: physical, tactical, and equipment-related.

• Two types of risks associated: legal and survival risks.

• Two types of motivation: draft evasion and socio-economic difficulties

By shedding light on this underexplored phenomenon, the presentation contributes to a deeper understanding of war-induced mobility, state control, and the moral and practical dilemmas faced by individuals during times of crisis.