Border guards in western Ukraine were forced to defend themselves against an attack by two armed men, killing one of the assailants and injuring the other, State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko told Ukrainska Pravda on June 30.
The attack reportedly took place on June 29 at around 9 p.m. local time near Selyatyn in Chernivtsi Oblast, which borders Romania.
Journalist Vitaly Glagov said that according to his sources, the attackers were armed with a machete and a gas canister.
The border guard used his weapon to save his own life, Demchenko said. Medics were called to the scene and a police investigation is currently underway.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said in a recent interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) that dozens of people try to illegally cross Ukraine's border into the EU every day.
Men of conscription age are prohibited from leaving the country during martial law, apart from several exceptions. Many men attempt to reach neighboring countries despite this, hoping to avoid mobilization.
Romanian police told RFE/RL in May that about 11,000 Ukrainian men have illegally crossed the border into Romania since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Several men have been found dead while attempting the perilous crossing across the Tysa River, which runs along the borders of Ukraine, Hungary, and Romania.
Kateryna Denisova
