Moldova detains Ukrainian border guards for illegal crossings

Moldovan authorities have detained two Ukrainian border guards following an incident on October 17 near the village of Vasilcău in the Soroca district. The officers were reportedly attempting to apprehend a Ukrainian citizen on the Dniester River near the Moldovan bank when they were intercepted by a Moldovan Border Police patrol.

The individual being pursued has applied for asylum in Moldova. Moldovan prosecutors have initiated criminal proceedings against the guards for illegal border crossing under Article 362 of the Criminal Code.

This marks the second such incident in recent days. On October 15, two other Ukrainian border guards entered Moldova in a motorboat near Holosnița while pursuing a 49-year-old man from Kyiv. In that instance, witnesses alleged the guards used oars to strike the man in the water. The individual survived with a concussion and subsequently requested asylum. Those two guards were later returned to Ukraine under a bilateral readmission agreement, whereas the guards detained on October 17 have not yet been handed over.