Ukrainian Border Guards Detain 13 Draft Dodgers Trying To Flee Across Border Into Romania

Ukrainian border guards have said that they have detained 13 draft dodgers who were trying to flee across the border into Romania.

This footage detained draft dodgers after they were busted heading to the Ukrainian Carpathian mountains in minibuses.

The images were obtained from the State Border Service of Ukraine on Tuesday, 7th February, along with a statement saying: "Thirteen residents of the Chernivtsi and Kyiv regions, aged from 22 to 52, were taken to the border by means of transport.

"They planned to illegally cross the border with Romania on foot in the mountains.

"The equipment was discovered by operatives of the Chernivtsi border detachment together with the border unit of the 'Krasnoilsk' department.

"In particular, in the course of events in the border area of ​​the Chernivtsi region, servicemen stopped Mercedes and Opel minibuses for inspection, which were moving in the direction of the border.

"As it was previously established, the car passengers planned to cross the border to the neighbouring country on foot in one of the mountainous areas of the Ukrainian Carpathians."

All offenders were taken to the border unit to be prosecuted under Article 204-1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure "Illegal crossing or attempted illegal crossing of the state border of Ukraine."

Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a "special military operation". Today marks the 350th day of the war.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 8th February 2023, Russia had lost about 134,100 personnel, 3,253 tanks, 6,458 armoured combat vehicles, 2,236 artillery units, 461 multiple launch rocket systems, 228 air defence systems, 295 warplanes, 285 helicopters, 1,961 drones, 796 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 5,112 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 211 units of special equipment.

Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.

Ukraine’s military said on Tuesday that the previous 24 hours had been the most deadly in the war so far for Russian soldiers.

Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark have issued a joint statement saying that they will provide Ukraine with at least 100 refurbished Leopard 1 main battle tanks.

The defence ministers of the three countries said in the statement that sending Ukraine the refurbished, older tanks was “to support Ukraine in their endeavour to withstand Russian aggression” and that the war machines would be delivered to Ukraine “within the coming months”.

The Ministry of Defence of Germany has said that some Leopard 2 main battle tanks will be ready for Ukraine by the end of March.

The head of the German defence company Rheinmetall has also said that it plans to send 20 to 25 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine this year.

Ihor Klymenko has become the new Ukrainian Minister of Interior Affairs and Vasily Malyuk has become the new head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the country’s main intelligence and security agency, after their appointments were approved by the Ukraine’s Parliament.

Ukraine’s top national security official, Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s national security and defence council, has said that he believes Kyiv will eventually be supplied with American F-16 fighter jets and that it was “only a matter of time”.

Danilov also suggested that Ukraine could strike Russia on its own territory, beyond occupied Ukraine.

The UK Ministry of Defence has said that Russia “lacks the munitions and manoeuvre units required for successful offensives”.

The UK MoD added: “Senior commanders likely make plans requiring undermanned, inexperienced units to achieve unrealistic objectives due to political and profession pressure.”

The Minister of Defence of Russia, Sergei Shoigu, has said that Western weaponry supplied to Kyiv is “dragging” NATO into the conflict, which could lead to an “unpredictable level of escalation”.