Bill targeting draft dodgers: For illegal departure — a fine of up to 170,000 or up to three years behind bars
The return of men from abroad is again in the spotlight: what Draft Law No. 13673 provides
The issue of Ukrainian men of mobilization age who left the country has again come to the center of public attention. It was after these statements that the government draft bill No.13673, which concerns liability for offenses related to crossing the state border of Ukraine, began to be actively mentioned on social networks and in the media.
This is the document that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine registered in the Verkhovna Rada on 21 August 2025. It was already included in the parliamentary session agenda on 10 February 2026, but as of 18 April 2026 the bill still has the status “being processed in committee”. In other words, it is not yet law, but only a government initiative that has not completed the full adoption process.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine explained that the need for such a document arose due to an increase in offenses related to illegal border crossing. The agency claims that the current administrative liability does not provide a sufficient deterrent effect, so the government proposed a tougher approach.
According to the MIA, the bill provides for several key changes. In particular, it envisages transferring the consideration of some administrative cases to border guards, introducing criminal liability during martial law for illegal departure, the use of forged documents or damage to border infrastructure, as well as specific consequences for violating the permitted duration of stay outside Ukraine for certain categories of citizens. It is proposed to introduce penalties in the form of a fine ranging from 7 to 10 thousand non-taxable minimum incomes ( 119 000 — 170 000 UAH ) or imprisonment for up to three years
A new wave of attention to this topic was triggered by statements by Volodymyr Zelensky, made after talks in Germany. The President said that the issue of returning Ukrainian men of mobilization age who left the country in violation of the law should be handled by the relevant services of Ukraine and Germany. After that, the topic of the bill sharply returned to the information space.
The main thing to understand now: as of 18 April 2026, none of the new provisions from draft bill No.13673 have been put into effect. Therefore, it is premature to speak of any new punishment already introduced by this document.
