Ukrainian border guards found the bodies of two men in the Tysa River in Zakarpattia Oblast on the evening of April 27, the State Border Guard Service reported.
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, there have been multiple reports of men attempting to illegally flee Ukraine by swimming the Tysa River, which flows along the border with Hungary, Romania, and Moldova. Men of draft age are banned from leaving the country during martial law, with several exemptions.
Rescue operations concluded on the morning of April 28 when the bodies of two men were pulled out of the Tysa. The victims are being identified.
"Despite the lowering of the water level in the Tysa, it is extremely dangerous to swim across it, especially at night. Sharp stones, roots, tree debris, and the swift and cold stream can pose danger to life and health," the statement read.
A total of 24 people have been found dead in the area after trying to cross the Tysa River, the State Border Guard Service said.
Law enforcement agencies have uncovered as of mid-March nearly 400 criminal networks that help individuals evade military service by aiding them in fleeing abroad, according to State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andriy Demchenko.
Ukraine recently updated the legal framework in order to ramp up mobilization in 2024. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the new law on mobilization on April 16, introducing penalties for those dodging the draft.
Another law lowered the minimum age of compulsory military service from 27 to 25, making men eligible for the draft as soon as they turn 25.
Elsa Court
(Updated: )
