Dniester River becoming popular route for illegal border crossings, says spox Demchenko
Border guards have noted an increase in the number of people attempting to cross the border illegally via the Dniester River.
Andrii Demchenko, a spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service, said this in an interview with Ukrinform.
“I would like to note that recently there has been an increase in the number of people attempting to illegally cross the border via the Dniester River. Often, during such attempts, not only wetsuits but also jet skis are used,” he noted.
Demchenko explained that jet skis are devices that pull a person, helping them swim faster. In other words, a person holds onto the jet ski, dives underwater, and in this way tries to be less visible. In response to a follow-up question regarding the use of the Tisa River in Western Ukraine, the spokesperson noted that “violators are still trying to cross the Tysa, but the Dniester has recently seen increased ‘demand.’”
Regarding curious cases of detecting violators, the spokesperson recalled an instance where the violator himself sought help from border guards: he asked to be saved from wolves.
"The man headed toward the border with Moldova and found himself trapped by wild animals. He encountered wolves and, to save his life, climbed a tree. Realizing the risk to his life, he began calling the State Border Service hotline and asking for help. He admitted that he had planned to cross the border illegally but encountered wolves.
“The border guards had to go to that location and, well, help him climb down from the tree, after which he was held accountable for attempting to illegally cross the border,” Demchenko said.
As reported by Ukrinform, a channel for the illegal smuggling of men of draft age across the Transnistrian segment of the Ukrainian-Moldovan border was uncovered in Odesa, and two Moldovan citizens were detained.