Prime Minister Tofan: “Our institutions managed the situation responsibly”
The incident on the Nistru—in which two Ukrainian border guards entered the territory of the Republic of Moldova while pursuing a man attempting to swim across the river—should also be viewed in the context of the war in the neighboring country, according to Prime Minister Vasile Tofan. The head of government also said that national legislation applies within the territory of the Republic of Moldova and that the relevant institutions handled the situation responsibly.
"Had it not been for this war, such incidents, obviously, would not have occurred. There is a war in the neighboring country, and it is clear that war is a tragedy—including in the context of individual cases like that of the man who swam across the Nistru. The laws of the Republic of Moldova apply on our territory. Therefore, I believe our institutions have handled this situation responsibly," stated Vasile Tofan during a show on Exclusiv TV.
Also, Tofan expressed solidarity with Ukraine, noting that the war causes numerous tragedies and puts the country's authorities and citizens in difficult situations.
"I am very grateful to Ukraine for defending both Europe and us. I understand how hard things are for them there, and how difficult it is to make such choices and respond to situations like this," the Prime Minister added.
The incident happened on October 15 near the village of Holoșnița, Soroca district. A Ukrainian citizen, who was swimming across the Nistru, was pursued by a boat carrying two Ukrainian border guards. In an attempt to detain him, the border guards struck him while he was in the water. Several local residents on the Moldovan bank intervened and helped him reach the shore. Andrii Demchenko, a representative of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, said the vessel drifted into the Republic of Moldova due to currents, low water levels, and an engine malfunction. Moldovan authorities detained the two border guards and took them to the Cosăuți Border Police Sector; the Prosecutor's Office then initiated criminal proceedings for the illegal crossing of the state border.
They were later handed over to the Ukrainian authorities under a bilateral readmission agreement, with the expectation that they would be summoned for questioning. Sources within the Border Police confirmed this information to Teleradio-Moldova on October 18. Authorities seized items found in their possession, including the vessel, as part of the criminal investigation.
Additionally, on Tuesday, October 20, the Border Police reported a similar incident that occurred on Saturday, October 17, near the village of Vasilcău in the Soroca District. Two border guards were detained while attempting to prevent another Ukrainian national from entering the Republic of Moldova.
The border guards escorted the man to the Soroca Border Police Sector to process the case, and criminal proceedings were initiated for illegal crossing of the state border. In this instance as well, the Ukrainian national whom the border guards were pursuing requested asylum in the Republic of Moldova. When Teleradio-Moldova contacted them, officials from the General Inspectorate for Migration said the information about this individual is confidential and cannot be disclosed.
