Moldovan prosecutors open case against Ukrainian border guards over border crossing

Moldovan law enforcement authorities have opened a criminal case against two servicemen of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. The incident occurred on 15 October, when Ukrainian officers found themselves on the territory of the neighbouring state while pursuing a man who had attempted to swim across the Dniester River.

Circumstances of the incident near Kholoshnytsia village

According to data from the Moldovan Border Police, the event took place at approximately 15:00 near the village of Kholoshnytsia in Soroky district. Two Ukrainian border guards on a motorboat crossed the state border while attempting to detain a Ukrainian citizen. A Moldovan patrol arrived at the scene and transported the servicemen to the station in Kosauntsy to carry out the relevant procedures.

The case was later transferred to the prosecutor's office. Criminal proceedings were opened under Article 362 of the Criminal Code of Moldova, which provides for liability for illegal crossing of the state border. These facts were reported on 17 October by Moldovan TV channel Moldova 1 and the publication "Ukrainska Pravda", citing the words of State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko.

Ukrainian side's version

Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, explained that a border patrol in Vinnytsia region detected a man moving towards the border. The offender subsequently attempted to swim across the Dniester. According to Demchenko, the man resisted during the detention.

Due to the shallowing of the river and engine malfunction, the boat with the border guards was swept onto the Moldovan shore. The Ukrainian side claims that a group of people at the scene threatened the servicemen and pulled the boat onto land. Only after this did Moldovan border guards arrive at the scene.

The State Border Guard Service confirmed that an internal investigation has been launched, covering the actions of the border patrol. The parties also held a border-representative meeting and exchanged information about the circumstances of the incident. As Demchenko noted, the man who attempted to cross the border was detained by the Moldovan side.

Video of the conflict and fact-checking

A video of a dispute on the Moldovan bank of the Dniester appeared on social media. The footage shows men in military uniforms in a boat and people conflicting with them. Witnesses accuse the border guards of brutal behaviour towards the pursued man, claiming that they allegedly tried to drown him.

However, the video recording itself does not contain evidence that would confirm these accusations. Official statements from Moldovan structures focus on the fact of the illegal border crossing, while the State Border Guard Service informed about the internal investigation. The circumstances of the conflict and the actions of all participants require further verification.

It is worth noting that on the night of 9 September, Russian troops attacked the "Starkozache" international checkpoint in Odesa region on the border with Moldova using strike drones.