About 32,000 Ukrainian Men Have Illegally Crossed Into Romania Since the Start of the War

Since the start of the full-scale war, around 32,000 Ukrainian men have illegally crossed the border into Romania, Romanian border guards told Bild.

“They receive asylum and can remain in the EU. Here they are safe and have nothing to fear,” border guard Yulia Stan said.

According to Romanian authorities, many Ukrainians attempt to escape through the Carpathian Mountains. The route is chosen because of weak border controls, the small number of roads, and the near absence of people. But such crossings often end in severe injuries or death.

Romanian rescuers found 26-year-old postal worker Vasyl from Ivano-Frankivsk in critical condition after he attempted to cross the mountains. After receiving a draft notice, he decided to leave Ukraine. By the time he was evacuated, his body temperature had dropped to 30 degrees Celsius, while his blood indicators, doctors said, resembled those of a clinically dead person. He was airlifted to a hospital by helicopter. He later emerged from a coma but lost both kidneys.

“Yesterday I spoke with my mother. Now she knows: I am free,” Vasyl told reporters in a weak voice.

Romanian border guards patrol bus stations and railway terminals, watching for young men carrying hiking equipment. To avoid attracting suspicion, many head into the mountains without proper gear—sometimes wearing only ordinary sneakers. Some mail their backpacks ahead in advance.

Rescuers say traces of such crossings are scattered throughout the mountains—water bottles, instant noodle packaging, chocolate bars, clothing, and cigarette butts. Most of the men travel at night without flashlights in an effort to avoid detection.

“Then they cannot see ravines or cracks in the rocks and suffer severe injuries. Some we find frozen to death. Recently we found a Ukrainian man near a river—dead. He fell into the water and froze. A phone was lying beside him. He was still trying to call his mother,” Romanian rescuers said.

Those who manage to cross the border often have to hide for several more hours before reaching populated areas. In one video shown to journalists by rescuers, a group of ten Ukrainians who had crossed the mountains could be heard laughing and shouting: “We made it! We got out!”