Ukrainian men are detained daily as they flee conscription
Every day, the border guard detains dozens of people trying to cross the Ukrainian border illegally, admitted Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko on Friday. "We are talking about dozens of people every day. Sometimes 10, sometimes 20, sometimes 30," he added.
Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko is keen to discuss the construction of training grounds for the National Guard, the training of military personnel, and the opening of general educational schools with a national and patriotic character for the children of Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs employees.
The Minister is less willing to talk about mobilization, escapees abroad whom the border guard does not have time to catch, and the work of regional military recruitment centres.
Radio Svoboda informed that the Minister is quite reluctant to talk about corruption scandals in his own environment, especially about the fate of his subordinate, the head of the National Police Ivan Vyhivsky's family. He says that 'not everything is so clear there.'
We present the crucial information from the lengthy interview with the head of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Ukrainians are fleeing the country. Authorities seem to downplay the problem
When asked about the escapes of Ukrainian men of conscription age abroad, Klymenko replied that up to 30 people are detained every day. "This includes not only those who try to swim across the Tysa River or go through the forest or the mountains but also those who try to use fake documents at checkpoints," he described. That's around 15% (of the total detainees) of Ukrainian citizens.
Klymenko refused to answer the question about how many men have tried to cross the border since the beginning of the war illegally. However, he denied that it was "several tens of thousands."
Radio Swoboda contacted the Romanian border police, which provided official statistics: since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, over 12,000 men have illegally crossed into Romania from Ukraine.
EU countries "unanimous". There will be no forced deportations
Klymenko stressed that it would be better if the refugees returned. The Minister of Internal Affairs confirmed that Kyiv is holding talks with "their colleagues from the European Union regarding bringing back men who illegally crossed the border.
Every European Union country acts following the law and the rules of the European Commission, so these negotiations will continue regarding the possible return of our citizens if they cross the border illegally. He declared and admitted that at this moment, EU countries are unanimous and do not agree to the forced deportation of Ukrainians to their country.
Klymenko believes that only 1% of citizens do not want to defend the country. He claims that the numerous cases of drowning in the Tisza River are not solely because of conscription but also due to illegal smuggling operations that smuggle men to other countries.
Ukrainians flee from mobilization
Here are a few cases of illegal attempts to escape from the country, which were published by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (DPSU):
On June 14, DPSU detained a record number of 41 escapees in the Odessa region. The men came from 12 regions of Ukraine and were transported in the back of a truck. All were detained.
On June 15, DPSU reported that rescuers received a report about men trying to cross the mountains into Romania illegally. During their escape, they got lost. "Fatigue and heavy rain caused their disorientation, so they called for help," the border guards stated. Two people were detained.
On June 18, DPSU reported the detention of five men who tried to swim across the Tisza River and get to Hungary. Each of the detainees paid the smuggler from 5,000 to 7,000 USD.
On June 21, DPSU detained a car with eight passengers in Zakarpattia. Each paid the smuggler from 6,000 to 8,000 USD for help in escaping. The destination was Hungary.
