The number of men aged 18 to 22 seeking refuge in Germany has climbed since August 26th after Kyiv loosened the rules to allow them to leave, ministerial data showed.
Weekly arrivals since September 8th have averaged over 1,000 and surged to 1,796 in the week starting October 6th, up from 138 in the week of August 25th.
"It is possible that this is a phase of increased migration, following the implementation of the regulations adopted this summer by Ukraine, and that the number of young men seeking protection may decrease again," the ministry said.
Between the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and August 2025, men aged 18 to 60 were prohibited from leaving Ukraine, apart from exceptional cases.
Thousands have attempted to leave illegally each year, sometimes risking their lives, in an effort to evade possible military mobilisation.
But those aged 18-22 are not subject to the draft -- its minimum age was lowered to 25 in April 2024.
Measures to promote voluntary enlistment have not been as successful as Ukrainian authorities had hoped.
More than 5.6 million Ukrainians have taken refuge abroad since February 2022, the vast majority in Europe, according to United Nations figures.
Over one million of them have moved to Germany, although some voices have suggested that Ukrainian men should stay home to help in the fight against Russia.
"A great many young men in particular are considering coming to Germany,"  Markus Söder, premier of the southern German state of Bavaria, said Monday.
"They would be better off staying in their own country when it comes to military service there."
Söder and other German politicians, had also been critical of Ukrainian refugees receiving Bürgergeld benefits - a policy which was changed this year ahead of other, wider welfare reforms that are currently being discussed.
FACT CHECK: Would cutting benefits for Ukrainians boost employment in Germany?
With additional reporting by Paul Krantz.
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