19,740 men have illegally crossed the borders of Ukraine from February 2022 to August 31, 2023 in order to avoid conscription to the Armed Forces of Ukraine to war against the aggressor state of russia. Another 21,113 men failed to flee the country.
It is reported by the BBC on Friday, November 17.
After the russian invasion, most men aged 18-60 were banned from leaving. But figures obtained by the BBC suggest dozens of people have tried to leave Ukraine every day. The publication reports that some swam dangerous rivers to leave the country, others simply left at night.
“The BBC has established - by requesting data of illegal border crossings from neighbouring Romania, Moldova, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia - that 19,740 men illegally crossed into these countries between February 2022 and 31 August 2023. While we do not know how those men escaped, we do know what methods were used by the other 21,113 who were caught trying. The majority - 14,313 - were attempting to walk or swim across the border, and the remaining 6,800 relied on fraudulently obtained official paperwork stating fake exemptions such as fabricated illnesses, the Ukrainian authorities said,” the report said.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on September 1, the head of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, David Arakhamia, said that men who went abroad on fake certificates of "unfitness" for mobilization could be extradited to Ukraine and punished in accordance with the legislation.
As of November 9, since the beginning of the war, Moldova has given 35 evaders back to Ukraine.
Also, as of November 9, the European Union had given 126 evaders back to Ukraine.
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