Recent events in Ukraine have shown a growing number of cases of Ukrainians illegally crossing the border due to changes in the legislation on conscription. According to information published by The Guardian, despite a nationwide ban on leaving the country for men aged 18 to 60, thousands of Ukrainians have decided to take the risk and flee the country.
According to the publication, the Armed Forces of Ukraine is desperately short of soldiers. Many volunteers have died, been wounded, or simply exhausted, so Kyiv is forced to recruit people who do not feel much desire to go to the front.
It is estimated that more than 20,000 Ukrainians fled the country before the new wave of mobilization began. Some of them drowned while trying to cross the western border into Romania, The Guardian notes.
The publication's correspondent spoke with Ukrainians hiding at home from the draft. Many said they were afraid of dying in battle, and some suggested that they would not receive sufficient training before being sent to the front.
“I want to leave the country. My mind can no longer be trapped here,” one of the interlocutors, named Dmytro, told the publication. Through friends who had already fled, he contacted people who promised to help him get out of Ukraine for a high fee – from €8,000.
According to Dmytro, he “wasn’t made for war” and “won’t last long at the front.” “I want to start a family and see the world. I’m not ready to die,” he said. In an interview with The Guardian, the Ukrainian added that he didn’t know if he could trust the carriers, who have recently raised prices to meet rising demand, but admitted that he saw no other options.
