According to statistics, after the invasion of the Russian armed forces on February 24, 2022, Ukrainian border guards prevented more than 13,000 people from leaving the territory.

“Since February 24, more than 9.1 thousand people have been detained at the green border,” Andriy Demchenko, spokesman for the border service, said at a press conference yesterday, Tuesday, in Kyiv. The term he uses (“green border”) refers to sections of the border that were not heavily guarded. Most of them were detained on the borders of Ukraine with Romania and Moldova.

About 3,900 more people were unable to cross the border at checkpoints, presenting forged or false documents. Most tried to get to Hungary or Poland.

As part of universal conscription, when the war broke out, Ukrainians between the ages of 18 and 60 who were drafted into the armed forces were banned from leaving the country, with a few exceptions.

According to the Kyiv authorities, some tried to leave the country dressed as women, with purchased or forged documents for children they did not have, or marriages that never took place.

According to the Ukrainian border guards, several people died from the cold in the Carpathians, more than 10 people drowned in the rivers of the border areas, mainly on the border with Romania.

It is not reported how many Ukrainians were able to leave the country to avoid being drafted.

Source: dpa, APE-MPE.