Ukrainian border guards cross into Moldova while pursuing suspected draft evader
Moldovan authorities have opened a criminal investigation into two Ukrainian border guards who allegedly crossed the state frontier while pursuing a man attempting to escape across the Dniester River.
The incident occurred on 15 October at approximately 3pm near the village of Holoșnița, in the Soroca district. According to Moldova’s Border Police, the two officers were travelling in a motorboat as they pursued a man swimming towards the Moldovan bank.
Rather than ending their pursuit at the international border, the Ukrainian border guards continued into Moldovan territory and reached the riverbank. They caught up with the fleeing man on land, but their attempt to return unnoticed was interrupted when a Moldovan border patrol arrived.
The officers were detained and taken to the border police station in Cosăuți. Following instructions from prosecutors, criminal proceedings were initiated under Article 362 of Moldova’s Criminal Code, which concerns the illegal crossing of the state border.
The man being pursued was identified as a Ukrainian citizen who appeared to be attempting to enter Moldova illegally to avoid military mobilisation. Officials have not disclosed his identity, place of origin or confirmed reasons for crossing the border.
Eyewitness footage sparks allegations of violence
The incident attracted further attention after a video allegedly filmed on the Moldovan bank began circulating on social media. Vasile Costiuc, an MP representing the Democracy at Home party, published the recording, saying he had received it from local eyewitnesses.
In the footage, residents can be heard confronting the Ukrainian officers and accusing them of mistreating the fleeing man.
“Don’t drown the lad. When I came out, I saw you holding him under the water. Do you have children? A son? How many children do you have? This lad has children too. He didn’t run away because he was living a good life.”
One of the officers responds:
“I wasn’t drowning him.”
A local resident challenges his denial:
“What do you mean you weren’t? How many times did you hit him?”
The recording has not been officially assessed in the statements cited, and the allegations of violence have not been independently established. Moldova’s Border Police has not commented on the footage, limiting its public response to confirmation of the detentions and the criminal investigation.
Moldova and Ukraine respond to the border incident
The Moldovan Border Police urged the public to remain calm and rely on official information to avoid spreading unverified claims. Costiuc, meanwhile, demanded that the authorities respond to the circumstances shown in the video.
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine also confirmed the incident, describing it as an incident that occurred during the detention of a border violator near Moldova.
The Ukrainian agency said an internal investigation was under way but provided no further details about the officers’ actions or the circumstances of the pursuit.
Attempts by Ukrainian men to cross the Dniester into Moldova to avoid mobilisation are not new. Throughout 2026, border authorities on both sides have repeatedly intercepted men attempting the crossing by swimming, using boats and even riding jet skis.
What makes this case different is that the pursuit itself has resulted in a criminal investigation involving the officers responsible for enforcing the border.
For Chișinău, the question is now whether the two officers unlawfully entered Moldovan territory while carrying out their duties. For Kyiv, the incident raises questions about how its border personnel conduct operations when suspects attempt to escape into a neighbouring country.
Unlike previous cases involving suspected draft evaders, this time it is the Ukrainian border guards themselves who are facing criminal proceedings in Moldova.
