MOSCOW, December 23. /TASS/. Nearly 50 Ukrainians have drowned since February 2022 while trying to illegally flee conscription by crossing the Tisza River, which serves as a natural border, according to State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Spokesman Andrey Demchenko.

"Since the introduction of martial law, the Tisza River has claimed the lives of about 50 individuals who attempted to cross the border unlawfully," UNN cited him as saying.

The border security service regularly reports cases of draft-age men risking their lives to evade mobilization, often navigating dense forests or swimming across the dangerous waters of the Tisza, which separates Ukraine from Romania and Hungary. Many turn to "guides" for assistance, paying thousands of dollars for their help. However, these so-called guides frequently abandon their clients, leaving them near the border and pointing them vaguely in the direction to proceed. Corpses are often discovered along the Tisza River’s banks.

Ukraine declared a nationwide state of general mobilization in February 2022, which has been extended several times since. Authorities have stepped up efforts to crack down on men avoiding military service. Many resort to fake disability documents, registering with educational institutions, or crossing borders illegally—often at significant personal peril. Law enforcement has repeatedly reported the arrest of "guides" facilitating illegal crossings and the detention of officials involved in document forgery at recruitment centers.