A presumed draft evader has been thwarted in his attempt to flee to Romania by speeding through a border checkpoint on a motorcycle, Ukrainian officials have reported. Kiev has banned fighting-age males from leaving the country, prompting thousands of illegal crossing attempts, some of which have been fatal.
The incident took place on Sunday evening at the Porubnoye crossing, according to Ukraine’s border service. Footage released on Monday shows a guard raising a metal barrier across the road and trying to intercept the approaching rider.
The video then cuts to the aftermath, with the motorcycle lying on the ground after apparently bending the barrier, and officers apprehending the would-be escapee.
Officials said the suspect is a man in his early thirties from Ukraine’s western Lviv Region. He was handed over to the national police.
Since the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022, Kiev has barred most adult men under the age of 60 from leaving the country. Those exempt from mandatory military service must obtain special authorization to depart the country legally.
As combat losses mount and recruitment efforts become increasingly harsh, more Ukrainian men have tried to leave the country unlawfully. Such attempts often involve migrant smugging networks or dangerous routes through forests, rivers, and mountainous terrain.
Border service spokesman Andrey Demchenko previously said that more than 13,000 people were detained between January and August alone while trying to flee Ukraine illegally. In June 2024, authorities reported 45 confirmed deaths linked to draft dodgers attempting to escape.
Travel restrictions were partially eased in August, when men under 22 not yet eligible for mandatory mobilization were allowed to leave. That move triggered a sharp outflow, with Eurostat reporting that applications for temporary protection in the EU rose by nearly 50% through September.