Ukrainian men pay thousands to flee via dangerous river route

The Tisza River flows between Ukraine and Romania. Those fleeing from war and mobilization attempt to cross it. Ukrainians trying to escape mobilization fall victim to a lucrative business. For several thousand dollars, they receive tips on how to cross the river. Many of them, however, ultimately end up in the hands of border guards, who publish photos of the escapees for all of Ukraine to see.

The border guard claims that in the area around the Tisza River, almost daily cases of illegal border crossings are recorded. According to Romanian authorities, from the start of the massive Russian military invasion of Ukraine until April, over 6,000 people crossed the Tisza River.

Not everyone managed to survive. Since the beginning of the war, at least 22 people have died trying to cross the river to the Romanian side.

Ukrainska Pravda noted a few weeks ago that Ukrainians trying to escape mobilization fall victim to a lucrative business. For several thousand dollars, they receive tips on how to cross the river.

Lies are one of the mandatory elements of this agreement. It is obvious, as the person who is supposed to help cross to the other side takes the money upfront and bears no responsibility for failure, the portal emphasized.

An example can be the recent situation from Ukraine. In Zakarpattia, the border guard detained four men with a 14-year-old guide. The teenager was supposed to help the men cross the Tisza River.

The Western Regional Directorate of the State Border Guard Service reported this, according to the portal Censor.NET.

According to border guard officials, the men paid between $4,000 and $6,000 to cross the river. The teenager was supposed to receive one thousand dollars in turn.

The detainees are residents of the Kyiv, Zakarpattia, Dnipro, and Lviv regions. The border guard is currently identifying those involved in organizing this illegal crossing.

According to Ukraine's martial law regulations, men aged 18 to 60 are not allowed—with few exceptions—to leave the country, as they may be mobilized into the army.

At the end of last year, the BBC reported in a report based on data on illegal border crossings with Poland, Moldova, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia that nearly 20,000 men fled Ukraine since the beginning of the war to avoid conscription.