Fighting-age Ukrainian gets detained preparing paraglider to escape

2025-08-09 06:23:38

(MENAFN) A Ukrainian man of conscription age was stopped by border guards as he tried to escape to Moldova using a paraglider, Ukraine’s Border Guard Service reported. The incident highlights growing draft evasion amid the country’s intensified conscription efforts due to the ongoing conflict with Russia.

The 48-year-old from western Khmelnitsky Region was apprehended near Mogiliov-Podilsky in Vinnitsa Region while preparing to take off from a field with a light glider he purchased for €500 ($582). Officials warned the attempt was extremely risky, as the man lacked both navigation equipment and piloting skills needed to land safely even if he had crossed into Moldova.

Since the conflict escalated in 2022, Ukraine has barred men aged 18 to 60 from leaving the country, leading to increased mandatory military drafts. Videos have surfaced showing authorities using force to detain resisting draft evaders, often with the support of witnesses.

In a similar recent case, border guards intercepted a man disguised as a woman trying to flee Ukraine

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