At the only crossing point between the occupied areas and the rest of Ukraine, Russian soldiers have told dozens of men aged 18 to 35 there is a ban on letting them leave, according to Guardian citing men who have successfully crossed, as well as two NGOs involved in helping people evacuate.
The Ukrainian authorities believe Russia will try to mobilise young men in the recently occupied areas to fight against Ukraine – as has been the case in parts of eastern Ukraine under Russian control since 2014.