34 arrested in Ukraine for evading draft, violent confrontation ensues

Initially, snippets of the video, devoid of sound, began circulating online. It was only on Friday evening that the full version was shared by various outlets, including the Unian agency. The footage illustrates the moment when 34 men, allegedly trying to dodge conscription, were apprehended near the Romanian border. **Each individual was reportedly asked to pay a bribe of around $11,000 for attempting to cross the border unlawfully.**

**The video has sparked significant controversy in Ukraine, primarily due to the manner in which the arrests were conducted.**

The footage depicts men being forcefully extracted from a van and piled onto one another. Subsequently, the person recording moves towards a man on the ground and begins to strike him on the head before standing to kick him.

**"Officers resorted to physical measures"**

The Border Guard has issued a statement on the incident, confirming that **an operation to apprehend 34 men at the border was indeed conducted**. "Within the framework of an ongoing criminal investigation, members of the Chernivtsi Border Detachment, in collaboration with SBU representatives, intercepted a large group trying to illegally cross the state border," according to the statement.

The report from the guards indicates that the minibus carrying the men was intercepted following a pursuit towards the border. "Throughout the arrest, the individuals displayed provocative behavior and failed to adhere to the Border Guard's directives. **Law enforcement officers were thus compelled to employ physical measures**," the statement elaborated.

Furthermore, the Border Guard disclosed that **the individual orchestrating the smuggling operation had been on the radar of the authorities for some time.**