Border guard to be tried in Odesa region for death of conscripts

Law enforcers have completed a pre-trial investigation into the death of a conscript who tried to illegally cross the Ukrainian-Moldovan border in Odesa region. The indictment has already been sent to court.

This was reported by the press service of the State Bureau of Investigation.

The investigation established that in September 2025, a border patrol noticed two men climbing over the protective structures and heading towards Moldova. They did not respond to requests to stop. During the pursuit, one of the border guards used a firearm. As a result, law enforcement officers found the body of one of the men with a life-threatening injury.

The deceased was a 23-year-old resident of Kharkiv region, who was carrying a foreign passport and personal belongings.

The border guard is currently in custody. He is charged with abuse of power under Part 3 of Article 365 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The case is under the supervision of the Odesa Specialized Defense Prosecutor's Office of the Southern Region.

According to the investigation, on July 14, 2024, in Odesa region, four servicemen escaped from a military unit and tried to cross to the Republic of Moldova on foot. The fugitives hired a taxi to get to the border.

While trying to cross the border, border guards noticed them and detained them. One of the fugitives attacked a border guard in an attempt to escape. In response, he used his service weapon and shot the attacker dead.

In January, border guards detained six migrants who intended to illegally enter the Republic of Moldova through a checkpoint in Odesa region, hiding in the cargo compartment of a truck. In accordance with the current legislation of the Republic of Moldova, they applied for asylum. According to preliminary data, each of the migrants allegedly paid 12 thousand US dollars for assistance in crossing the border and further transportation.

Анна Літман