With many Ukrainian men in continuous fear of being drafted into the war, many are illegally crossing the border in order to avoid being sent to the front. Now, a record number of border crossers were apprehended at one time when Ukrainian border guards detained a group of 38 people trying to enter Hungary illegally.
According to the Ukrainian Border Service, border guards stopped two vans near the Hungarian border crossing. The two drivers were transporting a total of 38 men — a record number of individuals seeking to cross the border since the outbreak of the war.
The group consisted of men from 11 regions of Ukraine. In order to leave Ukraine illegally, the drivers were paid sums of between $4,500 and $8,500.
The border guards informed the police that they had detected signs of criminal activity from the drivers of the two vans.
The police charged the men and took them into custody, and the suspects continue to be under investigation.
Following Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the country introduced martial law, which bans men of military age from traveling abroad. There are some exceptions, but there are also some who try to circumvent the law with money or help others to flee the country.
