MOSCOW, August 22. /TASS/. Large swaths of Ukrainian men subject to conscription are attempting to flee the country illegally to avoid mobilization, the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs acknowledged while commenting on a bill submitted to the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) that would allow imprisoning Ukrainians for up to three years for attempting to cross the border illegally.
"Today, unfortunately, we are seeing mass attempts to evade mobilization by leaving the country illegally. As experience shows, administrative fines do not deter violators," a message on the ministry’s Telegram channel reads.
The bill was submitted to the Rada by the government. It proposes introducing a fine ranging from 51,000 to 170,000 hryvnas ($1200-$4100) or up to three years prison time for illegal departure, the use of forged documents or damage to border infrastructure. However, those who return to the country voluntarily will be able to avoid criminal prosecution. "Legal consequences" will also await draft-age men who overstay their time abroad.
Currently, illegal border crossing in Ukraine only entails administrative liability in the form of a fine of up to $206 or arrest for up to 15 days.
A general mobilization has been declared and repeatedly extended in Ukraine since February 2022. On May 18, 2024, a law tightening mobilization came into force in the country, depriving a number of conscripts of the right to deferment or exemption. The authorities are doing everything possible to ensure that men of conscription age cannot evade service. According to Ukrainian experts, the tightening of mobilization rules has led to an increase in corruption in commissariats and medical boards, as well as the expansion of the market for services organizing illegal departure from the country. Men often risk their lives attempting to cross the border in forested areas or swim across the Tisza River, which separates Ukraine from Romania and Hungary.