More than 500 men who left Ukraine in 2024 under letters of recommendation from the Ministry of Culture have not returned from abroad.

This figure was mentioned by Dmitry Zolotukhin, advisor to the Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications.

The Ministry of Culture will temporarily cease to assist artists and journalists in leaving the countryThe Ministry will stop facilitating the departure of artists and media personnel abroad starting March 3 due to many abuses arising from gaps in legislation.

Primarily, those who did not return were men who left in the first half of the year, before the new mobilization law came into effect.

“In 2024 alone (mostly in its first half, when mobilization legislation was tightened), more than 500 men who left with the help of letters of recommendation from the Ministry of Culture did not return from abroad. The National Police has opened criminal cases for each such instance under one of the articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. For instance, Article 332-3 ‘Illegal crossing of the state border of Ukraine during a special period.’ Consequently, officials from the ministry automatically become involved in these criminal cases, as the question of organizing illegal border crossings is also under consideration. This means that individuals who sign these letters automatically become suspects at the moment the person refuses to return to Ukraine,” Zolotukhin explained.

He reminded that the ministry does not directly grant permission to cross the border; it only sends letters of recommendation to the State Border Guard Service, where decisions are made.

“These mentioned letters of recommendation exist outside the legal framework. There is no document regulating the right of the ministry or any other agency to approach the State Border Guard Service with such a request during martial law,” Zolotukhin noted. He stated that this form was devised by former minister Alexander Tkachenko in 2022 as a temporary measure.

“Any attempts to improve the regulation of this issue at the Cabinet level face a wall of refusals due to the fact that the Defense Forces do not have a measure of ‘cultural diplomacy’ or any other; there is solely a measure of ‘mobilization resources,’ which decreases due to such departures abroad,” the advisor added.

Recall that starting March 3, the Ministry of Culture will suspend the issuance of letters of support to the Border Guard Service for the departure of artists and media personnel abroad.

Previously, the minister stated that one in five cultural figures who received permission and left for abroad does not return to Ukraine.