Ukraine’s desperate draft-dodgers drown in the river of death

War has turned the Tysa (or Tisza, as it also spelt) into a desperate frontier. Forbidden from leaving their country legally, thousands of Ukrainian men of military age (currently 18-60) gamble their lives by swimming across it. At least 33 have drowned since the start of the war, the youngest just 20. The death toll is probably much higher, Ukraine’s border service says, with bodies still stuck in the reeds under the water and unlikely ever to be recovered. After the tenth corpse was discovered, officials began posting graphic photos and videos in an attempt to deter others. But the growing fear of conscription and the promise of a better life in Europe mean the men keep coming. Romania says it recorded 2,373 illegal crossings from Ukraine in the first three months of this year alone.