Ukrainian border guards prevent 23 men from fleeing
The Ukrainian border guard prevented the escape of 23 conscripted men to neighboring Moldova. The group had reached the border in the Podilsk district of the Odessa region with a cargo trailer of grain and were arrested while attempting to flee on foot, the authorities reported. Their destination was reportedly the pro-Russian region of Transnistria from Chisinau.
The border guard provided images taken with a night vision device of the fugitives in a field. The men are said to have paid between approximately 4,600 and 14,800 Euros in cryptocurrency to a smuggler in Kryptowährung. They now face an administrative penalty for attempting an illegal border crossing, as well as transfer to the local conscription office.
Since the Russian invasion over two years ago, Ukraine has imposed martial law and ordered mobilization. Wehrpflichtige men between the ages of 18 and 60 can only leave the country in exceptional circumstances.
Many still attempt to flee across the green border, particularly to neighboring European Union countries. According to data from the Defense Ministry, over 400,000 men have been put on the wanted list since the start of the war for ignoring call-up or mobilization notices; most of them in the regions considered particularly patriotic in western Ukraine.
- Despite the border protection measures implemented due to martial law, some Ukrainian men continue to attempt an escape, as evidenced by the recent incident where 23 conscripts tried to fled to Transnistria via Moldova.
- The goal of the 23 conscripted men, arrested at the border, was to escape military service by reaching the pro-Russian region of Transnistria, but their attempt was thwarted by border protection forces.
- The payment made by these men to a smuggler in cryptocurrency highlights the lengths some individuals will go to in their pursuit of an escape from border protection, even if it means facing administrative penalties and potential transfer to the local conscription office.
