Moldova Returns Ukrainian Border Guards Held After Dniester Incident
Moldova has returned the Ukrainian border guards who were detained on 15 October while trying to “pull out” of the Dniester, in Ukraine’s Vinnytsia region, a man who was attempting to cross the border illegally. This was stated to Ukrainska Pravda by Colonel Andrii Demchenko, spokesman for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, and was confirmed by a source in law enforcement.
What the border service says
“Following a review of the situation of 15 October and an exchange of information between the sides, the Ukrainian border guards were returned to Ukrainian territory,” Demchenko said. Asked for details, he noted that an internal investigation into the actions of the Ukrainian border guards is still under way.
As for the violator of the border, Demchenko said the Moldovan side did not return him. “What procedural status he has and what has been applied to him by the Moldovan side, I do not know,” he added.
The man in the river
The man who tried to cross the Dniester told Moldovan media that he “wanted to reunite with his family, who left for Bulgaria because of the war in Ukraine.” According to the law-enforcement source, at the time he crossed the river his wife and a taxi driver, who may have helped him cross illegally, were found on Ukrainian territory.