In the remote mountainous region of Maramures, in northern Romanianext to the border with Ukraine, More and more young Ukrainians do not hesitate to risk their lives to escape the war that is devastating their country.
“Many say they would rather die here than in combat,” Dan Benga, responsible for relief services in this isolated region, explains to AFP. ““They are children who do not know how to hold a weapon and are afraid to go to the front,” Add.
At an altitude of 1,600 meters and in the middle of the night, he receives the bodies of two men found by the border police 300 meters higher, which are transported on stretchers and inside in black bags.
That same night, a distress message from a 21-year-old Ukrainian trapped in that wild massif of the Carpathians appears on the emergency line.
“I’m so cold”, he is heard saying with a trembling voice in English. He has been walking through these still snowy lands for three days.
Dan Benga locates him and sends three of his men to look for him. He will be rescued the next day. Hardly a day goes by without a macabre discovery or a call for help.
“It’s a tragedy”explains a bearded 55-year-old paramedic, fearful that the thaw will reveal more bodies. “They are not adequately equipped, they do not have spare clothing or provisions”details.
Faced with a shortage of weapons and men at a time when Russia takes the initiative and multiplies assaults on the front, Ukraine recently adopted measures to facilitate recruitment and punish those who resist.
He also lowered the minimum recruitment age from 27 to 25, prompting thousands of Ukrainians to leave for neighboring countries.
Temporary protection with the right to work
In Romania alone, the number of illegal arrivals doubled in the first four months of 2024 compared to the same period a year earlier.
About 2,500 Ukrainian men were counted, with a total of 12,000 since the start of the war. Officially, men aged 18 to 60 do not have the right to leave Ukraine, under martial law which carries penalties of up to 12 years in prison.
At least twenty-three of these deserters died from cold during their journey in the mountains or from drowning in the Tisza River, which separates the two countries.
Every day border guards find between 50 and 60 men on the run. Among them, one of about forty years old, originally from Odessa, details that he deserted after a year at the front.
His hand is full of scars and bears the stigmata of combat. None of the Ukrainians interviewed by AFP at the border agreed to testify openly for fear of reprisals.
Once on Romanian soil they are safe. Despite the legislation established by kyiv, they are not asked questions at the border and receive a temporary protection title like other Ukrainian refugees welcomed in the European Union, giving them the right to stay in the place and work.
In the center that manages requests for the area “The procedure takes about five minutes,” indicates its director, Simona Chioran, while a 29-year-old man, carrying his sleeping daughter in his arms, carries out the procedures.
Armed with documents, many leave for other countries, says a Ukrainian who has taken refuge here since just before the launch of the Russian offensive. In the case of those who remain near the border, they often receive visits from their wives who remained in Ukraine and who bring them food.
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Source: Gestion
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
