Swimming and under cover of darkness – about 20,000 Ukrainian men fled conscription into the army

They crossed rivers, feigned illness, crossed the border under cover of darkness – this is how more than twenty thousand men fled from Ukraine so as not to go to the front and to reunite with their family abroad.

The BBC edition spoke with some of them – so far, despite strict controls and prohibitions, dozens of men manage to cross the Ukrainian border. 26-year-old musician Eric, for example, swam across the river to escape to Moldova. But not everyone was so “lucky” – another 21,113 men tried to flee the country, but were detained by the Ukrainian authorities. After the Russian invasion, most men aged 18 to 60 were banned from leaving. One of the men, Evgeniy, says:

“What should I do? Not all are warriors… there is no need to keep the whole country locked up. You can’t lump everyone into one pile, as was the case in the Soviet Union.”

BBC installedusing data on illegal border crossings from Romania, Moldova, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, that between February 2022 and August 31, 2023, 19,740 people from Ukraine entered these countries illegally.

While it is unknown how these people managed to cross the border, the Air Force has learned what methods were used by the remaining 21,113 people caught trying to escape. Most of them, 14,313, tried to cross the border on foot or swim across rivers, and the remaining 6,800 relied on fraudulently obtained official documents that listed false exceptions such as fabricated illnesses, Ukrainian authorities said.

Those exempt from military service include men with health problems, those with caring responsibilities, and fathers of three or more children. In August, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky called “corrupt” decisions made by the country’s military medical commissions, which he said led to a tenfold increase in the number of exemptions from military service since February 2022. He announced that all regional officials responsible for military conscription had been fired, and more than thirty people were brought to criminal charges. Fyodor Venislavsky, the president’s representative in parliament, admits that the problem is serious:

“The government is aware that this phenomenon is not isolated and widespread. But, unfortunately, I would like to emphasize that corruption is very persistent. Ukraine is doing everything possible to reduce the number of cases of corruption to a minimum. I am convinced that the resilience and willingness of Ukrainians to protect their independence, sovereignty and freedom are 95-99%.”

He said the number of men who left or tried to leave had no impact on the military effort: “Those who are trying to avoid mobilization are approximately 1-5%. They are certainly not critical to the defense of Ukraine.”

The more than 40,000 men who fled or attempted to flee may represent a significant proportion of the men Ukraine needs to fill its army. In August, U.S. officials put the number of Ukrainian military deaths at 70,000, although Kyiv did not provide a figure. Ukraine does not provide precise official data on the size of its army and the number of casualties. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said at the European Strategy forum in Yalta in September that there are more than 800,000 people in the Ukrainian armed forces.

Some escapes were dramatic. Many died trying to flee Ukraine by swimming across the unpredictable Tisza River. Evgeniy, a construction worker from Kyiv who was met at Moldova’s immigration center, said he simply crossed the country’s border on foot – the most popular route, data shows. This would make it relatively easy for war fugitives to ask for asylum.

Evgeniy said that he felt trapped in Ukraine: first of all, young people and those with military experience were called up for military service. Meanwhile, it was difficult for him to find a well-paid job, “because everything is tied to the war,” and “electricity, fuel – everything has become more expensive.” After a case was reviewed by the Moldovan police, he applied for asylum – this must be done within 24 hours of entering the country to avoid a criminal record.

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