Maksym, 20, from Kyiv , left Ukraine for the first time under new rules allowing men aged 18 to 22 to travel despite martial law. Now in Berlin , he has applied for protection, lives in a shelter, and hopes to study and work. Critics warn Ukraine risks losing its youth as more men settle abroad. Germany hosts 1.26 million Ukrainians, over half a million men. For Maksym and others, returning home isn't in the plan — at least for now.