Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Netanyahu: If Lebanese Army takes steps to disarm Hezbollah, Israel will engage in reciprocal measures, including phased reduction of Israeli military presence in Lebanon
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Photojournalist Houssam Al-Masri martyred, reporters Hatem Omar, Mohammad Ashraf Salameh injured in Israeli strike on Nasser Medical Complex.
Israeli media: Intense US efforts are being made to resolve differences, such as the issue of the Israeli presence on Mount Hermon and in southern Syria
Israeli media: The security agreement means amending the disengagement agreement, which will also address the Druze issue
Israeli media: Attempts to reach a security agreement between 'Israel' and Syria were among the topics discussed at the Paris meeting
Israeli media: Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif rejected a US proposal to join the recent tripartite meeting between Tom Barrack, al-Shaibani, and Dermer
Saba News Agency: Two martyred, five injured in a preliminary toll of the Israeli aggression on the Yemeni Oil Company station on Al-Sitteen Street in Sanaa
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: We observed a state of confusion among the enemy's aircraft squadron after Yemeni air defenses intercepted the attack
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: The Yemeni air defense forces succeeded in neutralizing a squadron of enemy aircraft and prevented airstrikes on some governorates
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: Our air defenses and missile forces forced a formation of enemy aircraft to flee the airspace

Ukrainians risk lives to flee military draft via icy Romanian route

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 27 May 2024 11:06
  • 6 Shares
4 Min Read

As Ukraine loses its grip and manpower, Ukrainians are risking their lives, fleeing the country to avoid forced drafting.

  • x
  • Members of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces, volunteer military units of the Armed Forces, train in a city park in Kiev, Ukraine, Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022. (AP)
    Members of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces, volunteer military units of the Armed Forces, train in a city park in Kiev, Ukraine, January 22, 2022. (AP)

In the snowy mountains of northern Romania, rescuers heard the voice of a young Ukrainian man—one among the flood of fleeing Ukrainians, many compelled to escape due to stricter conscription rules in the country. He was just one among the thousands who had fled across the border into EU member Romania as Ukraine tightened its conscription rules.

They are "kids who never fought in their lives, scared to go to the battlefront", Dan Benga, head of the Maramures Mountain Rescue, told AFP.

"Many of them say that they'd rather come and die on the mountain than die in the war." As Ukraine's grip on the war situation weakened, it reduced the minimum mobilization age from 27 to 25.

The new mobilization age has pushed Ukrainians to flee to Romania: almost 2,500 in the first four months of 2024, according to Romanian border police, which is twice as many as in the same period last year.

'Ukrainians would rather die than fight' 

They face the risk of freezing in the mountains or drowning in the Tisa River, which runs along part of the northern border. Benga and another rescuer were at an altitude of 1,600 meters (5,200 feet) when they heard the young man's call.

Benga requested precise GPS coordinates and promptly dispatched three rescuers to locate him. The young man was the 37th Ukrainian rescued this year, one among over 100 individuals saved in the area since February 2022.

Related News

Simion seeks annulment of Romania’s election over fraud allegations

Telegram’s Durov says France sought to censor Romanian conservatives

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Romanian border police report that 23 Ukrainians have been discovered deceased on Romanian territory. Among them, 13 were recovered from the Tisa River—a swifter passage than through the mountains, yet more dangerous due to the frigid water and powerful currents.

Those who make it across the border go to immigration centres where they can request temporary protection, which is given to Ukrainians fleeing the war. "The procedure takes approximately five minutes," according to the director of one center.

According to Romanian police, almost 12,000 Ukrainians have fled their country, which has imposed travel bans on all men aged between 18 and 60. 

Read next: Ukrainian army struggling with manpower shortage: WSJ

'Prepare for sacrifices'

Earlier this month, Ukraine Defense Ministry spokesperson Dmitry Lazutkin stated that the Ukrainian society must be prepared to make sacrifices and relinquish their peaceful lives to overcome the threat posed by Russia.

Kiev is revamping its military conscription system to increase the number of soldiers amid setbacks in the ongoing war with Russia, implementing stringent reforms scheduled to take effect next week.

"Globally speaking, starting on May 18, when the mobilization law comes into force, first of all, the approach to this war will change," Lazutkin said as quoted by Espresso TV on Saturday.

The Ukrainian government's desperation has led to the drafting of convicts, as reported a few days ago. Ukraine started drafting convicted prisoners to serve in the armed forces as it struggles to maintain frontlines three years into the war after suffering significant losses among its forces, especially with the newly launched Russian offensive late last month, which has resulted so far in Kiev losing significant territorial grounds, The New York Times reported on May 24.

While the total number of released prisoners is unknown since the law went into effect last week, a regional court in western Ukraine said this week that it had freed more than 50 prisoners under the new law that allows convicts to serve in the army in exchange for the possibility of parole at the end of their service.

  • romania
  • Russia
  • war in Ukraine
  • Kiev
  • Ukraine
Russia & NATO

Russia & NATO

As the Draconian Western-led sanctions on Russia exacerbate the economic crisis worldwide, and as Russian troops gain more ground despite the influx of military aid into Ukraine, exposing US direct involvement in bio-labs spread across Eastern Europe and the insurgence of neo-Nazi groups… How will things unfold?

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Displaced Palestinians walk through a makeshift camp along the beach in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)

Hamas, other factions accept Egypt-Qatar ceasefire proposal: Exclusive

  • Politics
  • 18 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS