In Ukraine, men try every day to avoid being drafted into the army. “Every day there are attempts to cross the border illegally,” a spokesperson said on Monday evening. About thirty Ukrainians have been killed since the war began in 2022.
According to the Border Guard, 24 men were killed trying to cross the Tisa River on Ukraine’s border with Romania. “Most of these attempts take place outside the border checkpoints on the borders with Moldova and Romania. The largest number of forged documents is registered at the border with Poland,” said spokesman Andriy Demchenko.
450 criminal groups discovered
Since the start of the war, the Border Patrol says it has discovered about 450 criminal groups that have tried to smuggle people across the border. With few exceptions, Ukrainians between the ages of 18 and 60 are not allowed to leave the country because they could be called up to fight against Russian forces under the current state of martial law. In early April, Demchenko announced that an average of ten men a day were stopped trying to leave the country illegally.
20,000 people actually fled
The BBC reported in November that almost 20,000 men had fled Ukraine to avoid conscription since the start of the war. She referred to data on illegal border crossings from Romania, Moldova, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.
Although soldiers are lacking to repel the Russian invasion, there are currently no plans to forcibly bring military-age men from abroad. “There will be no restrictions and no forced return of Ukrainian citizens of any gender or age to a country at war,” Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, responsible for EU integration, said on Tuesday.
No new travel documents for refugees
The army is currently having increasing problems recruiting new troops (see video above). Last week, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs banned the issuance of new travel documents to conscripts abroad. Passes that have already been completed will no longer be distributed.
A law that comes into effect on May 18 also obliges all conscripts to renew their data in the register within two months. Anyone abroad must present a military passport to use consular services. Anyone who is not registered can only receive documents for the return journey. Representatives of Poland and Lithuania had also announced that they would make living conditions more difficult for Ukrainians subject to military service so that they could return to the war-torn country.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
