At Least 30 Men Have Died Trying To Flee Ukraine Draft
Since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, some 30 Ukrainian men have died trying to sneak out of the country and avoid being forced into a war that looks increasingly futile — and increasingly deadly for those on the losing side.
That grim tally was shared by Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service leader Andriy Demchenko in a Monday interview with Ukrinform, a Ukrainian state news agency. The fact that this was disclosed in a state outlet suggests that it was meant to serve as a cautionary tale, to dissuade other Ukrainian men from attempting to leave the country.
“Overall, since the full-scale invasion began, about 30 people have died attempting to illegally cross the border,” Demchenko told sources. He also said that the government had identified 450 criminal groups that have helped facilitate escapes — for hefty fees.
The vast majority of fatalities have happened while braving the natural barriers that stand between them and foreign refuge against military service. “Some lost their lives while attempting to cross a mountain river or traverse mountains,” said Demchenko. Two dozen have died crossing one obstacle: the Tysa River that marks Ukraine’s border with Romania.
Sources recently provided some interesting insights into the market for draft-escape services, via an interview with one such illegal entrepreneur. For example, a crossing by foot goes for $6,000 — but there’s a whopping $2,000 discount for those who agree to swim across a border river. “If the person says they can’t swim, we have equipment for that, but there’s an additional payment involved,” explained the smuggler.
He told spurces that he’s never had an escapee bail once the journey begins:
“When you explain to them that there are some risks, they don’t want to hear about it. They just want to build a life for themselves… You explain, ‘well, it’s going to be cold.’ But they don’t care. They just want to build a life for themselves.”
“Attempts to illegally cross the border occur every day,” Demchenko said, noting that there are two varieties of would-be escapees. “Most of these attempts are outside of border checkpoints on the border with Moldova and Romania. The largest number of forged documents is recorded on the border with Poland.”
Demchenko offered some examples of tactics used to make it through official border posts. Men dressing in women’s clothes has become commonplace. “I personally remembered a case when a man hid in the structural features of a vehicle, climbing into a niche for a spare wheel. In order to squeeze in there, he had to strip down to his underwear,” he said.
