Ukraine said on Monday that a military serviceman allegedly attempting to flee the country illegally had been shot dead by a border guard after being caught and detained.
Kyiv has launched an aggressive military recruitment drive, spurring reports of Ukrainian men crossing into neighboring countries to avoid service.
The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) said four servicemen were apprehended while approaching the Moldovan border by foot in the southern Ukrainian region of Odesa on the Black Sea.
“While trying to cross the border, border guards noticed them and detained them,” the SBI said, adding the incident had occurred one day earlier.
“One of the fugitives attacked the border guard while trying to escape. In response, he used his service weapon and shot the attacker,” it added, saying an investigation had also been opened.
The guard used the firearm in self defense, Andriy Demchenko, a border guard spokesman, told Ukrainian media.
Border guards say more than a dozen people have died this year alone trying to cross the river Tysa that runs along the country’s western border.
It has also detained dozens of people in recent months attempting to smuggle themselves out of the country.
