A 31-year-old Ukrainian man is facing criminal charges in Romania after illegally entering the country by ultralight aircraft to avoid conscription in Ukraine. The incident highlights a growing trend of Ukrainian draft evaders seeking refuge in neighboring Romania amid Kyiv’s intensifying manpower demands.
According to Romanian Border Police, the man crossed into northern Romania’s Suceava County on Sunday, landing his German-made Ikarus Comco C22 ultralight plane in a field near the village of Fratautii Vechi. Local residents alerted authorities, who detained the man. He requested temporary protection, stating he was fleeing Ukraine’s mandatory military service.
Romanian police have opened a criminal case against him for illegal border crossing and operating an unlicensed aircraft. His asylum claim will be reviewed by the General Inspectorate for Immigration. Under Romanian and EU law, he cannot be deported to Ukraine while his claim is processed, and he may remain in the country during the review.
The case occurs against a backdrop of severe recruitment pressure in Ukraine. Facing significant battlefield losses and widespread draft evasion, Ukrainian authorities have expanded conscription efforts. Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov previously stated that approximately two million men of military age are wanted for evasion, with 200,000 troops having deserted. Videos depicting forceful detentions of eligible men, known locally as “busification,” frequently surface in Ukrainian media.
Romania has become the primary destination for those seeking to avoid the draft. Data from Romania’s Border Police indicates that 31,600 Ukrainian men crossed into the country illegally between February 2022 and February 2026. Many undertake perilous journeys through mountainous terrain or across the Tisa River to reach the border.
While Romanian authorities prosecute illegal entry, they generally treat Ukrainian men as asylum seekers rather than deporting them, aligning with EU temporary protection directives. The immediate next step for the pilot involves the immigration review process, while the criminal proceedings for his unauthorized entry continue separately.
This incident underscores the intersection of Ukraine’s domestic conscription challenges and Romania’s legal obligations as an EU border state managing a sustained influx of military-age men from the conflict zone.
