In recent days, Ukrainian border guards made an arrest after discovering a man attempting to cross the Dniester River from Ukraine to Moldova using an air mattress. The 39-year-old man was fully clothed with a backpack and shoes and was spotted lying face down on the mattress, using his hands to row across the river.
It is reported that the suspect was apprehended after Ukrainian forces used a drone to observe his illegal border crossing and sent a boat to intercept him. It is believed that the man had contacted someone on a messaging app who had arranged for him to cross the border for a cost of $4,200.
The motive behind the man’s attempt to cross the border remains unknown, but it is speculated that many Ukrainian men are trying to leave the country to avoid being conscripted into the military. The influx of people attempting to cross the border has increased since Ukraine lowered the military enlistment age, prompting heightened surveillance from border security.
As Ukraine intensifies its troop mobilization efforts, they have also stopped issuing passports to men of military age who are abroad. An estimated 650,000 Ukrainian men between the ages of 18-60 have left the country since conflict began. This incident sheds light on the challenges and risks faced by individuals trying to navigate border crossings in tumultuous times.