The State Border Guard Service explained why a boat carrying border guards ended up in Moldova

A Ukrainian border patrol, along with their boat, was swept by the current toward the Moldovan shore while attempting to detain a man who was swimming across the Dniester River. According to Andriy Demchenko, a spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the incident occurred several days ago. An internal investigation into the incident is currently underway.

Demchenko spoke about this in a comment to “Suspilne.”

Ukrainian border guards spotted a man attempting to swim across the Dniester River and set out after him in a boat. Despite his resistance, they managed to catch up with him. However, due to the river’s shallow waters, the boat’s engine stalled, and the current carried the boat, along with the border patrol, to the Moldovan shore.

There, the boat was met by a group of people who pulled it onto the territory of the neighboring country. Subsequently, the Moldovan border police arrived at the scene and detained the man.

According to Demchenko, Ukrainian and Moldovan officials have already held a meeting between border service representatives and exchanged information regarding the incident.

The spokesperson also noted that the Ukrainian side currently does not know the whereabouts of the man detained by Moldovan law enforcement. The agency promises to provide information on the whereabouts of the Ukrainian border guards at a later time.

Recently, two Ukrainian border guards entered Moldovan territory while pursuing a man who was attempting to cross the border on the Dniester River. According to the Moldovan Border Police, the incident occurred near the village of Kholoshnytsia. Moldovan law enforcement officers detained both officers and transported them to the police station in Cosăuți.

The case files were forwarded to the prosecutor’s office, which ordered the opening of a criminal investigation into the illegal crossing of the state border. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine announced that an internal investigation is underway.

Андрій Колісніченко