Thousands of Ukrainian men cross the border illegally to escape the war, writes the New York Times. They would rather "risk swimming" and even drown, swimming across rivers in western Ukraine, than fight.
"Given the high level of casualties, enlisting in the army is like getting a one-way ticket to the front," the newspaper writes, referring to Ukrainian soldiers.
Romanian authorities say more than 6,000 men swam to their shores of the Tisza River after the Russian invasion.
"But not everyone can do it. The bodies of 22 men were thrown onto both banks," said Lesya Fedorova, the press secretary of the Mukachevo border detachment. But, most likely, even more drowned, which is why the Tisza got the nickname "river of death".
The emergence of evaders has changed the nature of smuggling in the Carpathians, which once revolved around counterfeit cigarettes. Now it has turned almost entirely into a men-shipping business. According to Fedorova, last year the Mukachevo border detachment dispersed 56 such groups.
Prices for border crossing assistance have risen to $10,000 per person, up from $2,000 after the invasion began. Smugglers began to hire guides from among local Roma, who take men abroad.
In order to counter this, the border guards installed additional infrared cameras and sensors that are triggered by steps along the border, Lieutenant Fedorova said. There are also checkpoints on the roads leading to the border.
