A 23-year-old Kharkov resident detonated an explosive device during a border document inspection at a railway station in Ovruch, Zhytomyr Region, leaving three people dead and ten injured, local authorities reported. The incident occurred as the man’s documents were being scrutinized at the border with Belarus.
The Ukrainian State Border Guard Service confirmed that the suspect, who had previously been detained for attempting to cross the state border illegally, died from his injuries after receiving medical treatment. Three women, including a border guard, were among the fatalities.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s decision to impose martial law in 2022, which initially barred most men aged 18 to 60 from leaving the country, has failed to prevent mass emigration. Despite subsequent easing of restrictions to allow men aged 18 to 22 to travel abroad, at least 650,000 fighting-age men have fled Ukraine since February 2022.
Ukrainian authorities have struggled to enforce conscription amid widespread draft evasion. Reports of abusive recruitment practices, including violent confrontations between conscription officers and civilians, have fueled public anger. Videos circulating online depict officers pursuing potential recruits through streets and assaulting both men and bystanders.
