Will the new draft law restrict Ukrainian teenagers from traveling abroad because of mobilization? No, that's not true: The changes to the regulations on temporary departure out of Ukraine for children 16 to 18 will require an accompanying parent and the consent of the other or a confidant. Teenagers older than 18 will be able to travel unaccompanied.
The claim appeared in a video (archived here) where it was published by planet.404 on August 10, 2023. The text under the video (translated from Russian into English by Lead Stories staff) reads:
Serfs since 16 years old Hello, Vil'na Ukraina! (Free Ukraine)
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Wed Aug 16 07:40:49 2023 UTC)
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (The Ukrainian Parliament) is reviewing draft law № 9480 that, once passed, will condition children temporarily leaving Ukraine to other countries as a precaution for young Ukrainians not to be taken away by social services in the European Union due to the difference in legislature. Presently, Ukrainian children aged 16 can travel abroad unaccompanied.
The explanatory notes to the draft bill clarify that in most European countries unaccompanied teenage traveling (until 18 years old) is prohibited. Ukrainian children travelling without parents are considered as unaccompanied foreign minors in Europe that require attention from social services.
