Ukrainian Border Guard Flees to Slovakia and Seeks Asylum: Famous Border Incident
A scandalous incident occurred on the Ukrainian border with Slovakia, which attracted the attention of the public and law enforcement agencies. According to official data, a Ukrainian serviceman, a border guard, decided to leave his post and illegally crossed the border, applying for refugee status in a neighboring country. The incident occurred at the Uzhhorod border checkpoint, and he was examined by all relevant services, including control devices, and criminal proceedings were opened. As it became known on June 27 from official sources, in particular from Uzhhorod City Council deputy Vitaliy Glagola, this is a serviceman of the canine service, who held a position in the vehicle inspection department. According to sources, he finished his shift, returned to his post to feed his service dog, and then unexpectedly left the unit's territory. Without stopping at the official borders, he illegally crossed the state border towards the European Union, violating all established rules of passage and control. His further actions were aimed at seeking asylum in Slovakia, where he, in his explanations received from local law enforcement officers, noted that his motives were the desire to avoid possible involvement in the hostilities currently underway in Ukraine. An investigation has already begun into this fact, which is being conducted by the Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the Field of Defense of the Western Region. Official representatives confirmed the incident and reported that all circumstances of the escape are currently being clarified, including the location of the serviceman and the question of his motivation. An inspection is underway for possible violations of the border crossing rules, and possible systemic shortcomings in the border control process are also being analyzed. The command of the 94th Border Guard Unit of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has already initiated an internal investigation to identify all the circumstances and objectively assess the level of organizational and technical shortcomings that could have contributed to such a situation. Criminal proceedings have also been initiated under Article 407, Part 5 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - "unauthorized abandonment of the place of service under special regime conditions", which provides for a serious punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of five to ten years. This incident raises additional questions about security and control at the Ukrainian border, especially under martial law. It is known that in the past, Ukrainian servicemen who voluntarily left service or deserted were offered a chance to return to the ranks of the Armed Forces without consequences until August 30, 2025. However, in this case, not only discipline was violated, but also state security and the country's defense capability, since the escape of a serviceman from civil service creates a potential risk to the security of the state at its border. The investigation is expected to last several weeks, and law enforcement officers will make every effort to establish all the circumstances of this unforeseen violation. The location of the serviceman and his further fate remain unknown at this time, but all interested parties have already been stressed the need to strictly follow legal procedures. At the same time, the government and the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine call for improving control and security systems so that similar incidents do not repeat and do not become a threat to state security in these difficult times.