Dozens of men caught trying to flee Ukraine packed in cargo trucks

A group of men have been caught trying to flee Ukraine in a refrigerated meat truck, in an attempt to avoid military conscription. The truck was intercepted on Tuesday in the Odessa town of Stanislavka, on its way to the border with Moldova. 16 men were reportedly found hiding behind cuts of beef in the back, while two foreigners, whose nationality is not yet known, were in the cab.

According to Odessa police, each of the men paid between $6,000 and $8,000 to be smuggled out of the country, while services to help with official paperwork were also offered.

In a separate incident, a truck reportedly containing 42 Ukrainian men was stopped near the border on Wednesday, all of whom had been trying to flee the draft. Such incidents have been common in recent months, with Ukrainian officials estimating that over 100 military-age men have been trying to leave the country daily, although the real figure is suspected to be much higher.