During their detention, weapons were found on the two men, according to the public television channel Moldova 1. According to official information, they were part of a border patrol, whose members are usually armed. All items seized, including the boat in which the two men were travelling, remain in custody as part of the criminal investigation.
Journalists spoke to residents of the Soroca district, who recounted how they had helped the Ukrainian citizen. They were Ion Hapun and Eugen Procopciuc, residents of the village of Holoșnița.
According to Moldova 1, the man who was injured is a 49-year-old resident of Kyiv, a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist. Following the incident near the village of Holoșnița, he was taken to hospital with a concussion.
“People came to my aid and, thanks to them, they may well have saved my life,” said the Ukrainian man.
We would like to remind you that the incident took place on 15 October, at around 3.00 pm. Two Ukrainian border guards crossed the border from Ukraine in a motorboat and entered the territory of the Republic of Moldova, near the village of Holoșnița. It all happened during an operation to apprehend a Ukrainian citizen.
Details of the incident emerged after MP Vasile Costiuc posted a video on social media showing two Ukrainian border guards approaching the banks of the Dniester River, on Moldovan territory, in their boat. The Moldovan authorities did not issue an official statement until 17 October.
According to the Moldovan Border Police, a rapid response patrol arrived at the scene and detained both men. They were subsequently taken to the Border Police station in Cosăuți to undergo the procedures required by law. However, it has now emerged from open sources that both border guards have been handed over to the Ukrainian side.
The case files have been forwarded to the public prosecutor’s office, which has ordered the initiation of criminal proceedings for the illegal crossing of the state border, an offence under Article 362 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Moldova.
According to the Ukrainian side’s account, the border guards reached the Moldovan shore by boat after the vessel’s engine broke down, and the currents of the Dniester carried the boat towards the shore of the Republic of Moldova.
The official statement regarding the incident was issued by the Border Police of the Republic of Moldova. However, apart from a brief press release, no further explanations or details have been provided. Nor has the country’s leadership issued any response. Under these circumstances, updates on the case must be followed in the press and on social media. This is despite the fact that the Border Police have advised citizens to “use official sources of information”.
Former MP Igor Munteanu believes that Chișinău should request the results of the criminal investigation from the Ukrainian side, and that the Government of the Republic of Moldova should comment publicly and in a balanced manner on the events.
“Rule one: the pursuit stops at the border. Whether by water or land, the middle of the river is where the Border Police intervene, detain the person and apply the legal procedure.
Rule number two: Chișinău is obliged to request the results of the Ukrainian criminal investigation, not just the administrative one. I am referring to the case of the two border guards, released today in Soroca and handed over to Ukraine.
The third rule: the government must communicate publicly, firmly and in a balanced manner, before the issue is hijacked by those who might see this incident as propaganda ammunition against Ukraine. We should not be willing to tolerate or support such a scenario either.”
This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.The translation was also reviewed by the Logos Press editorial team.
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