Ukrainians die trying to cross border to evade conscription

At least 30 Ukrainians died trying to illegally cross the border to avoid being summoned since the Russian invasion in February 2022, according to the spokesman for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Andri Demchenko, reported on Tuesday. Speaking to the agency “Ukrinform”, the spokesperson stated that these illegal crossing attempts occur daily, most of them outside the checkpoints on the border with Moldova, while the largest number of attempts to cross with false documents takes place at the border with Poland.

Demchenko was surprised by the fact that people are willing to pay large amounts of money to people who promise help to cross the border and then have to face the fact that the route runs along a mountain river. Many realize that they do not have the strength to cross a river or cross mountains and that is how some have lost their lives, in addition to the danger posed by wild animals, he added. Demchenko also stated that since the beginning of martial law, around 450 criminal groups specializing in human trafficking across the border have been discovered.

*With information from EFE