Over 3,000 Ukrainians detained since Feb 24 for trying to illegally cross border - State Border Guard Service of Ukraine

MOSCOW. June 7 (Interfax) - As many as 3,250 men aged from 18 to 60 have been detained since February 24 for trying to illegally cross the Ukrainian border, spokesman for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Andriy Demchenko said.

"Unfortunately, there are still some attempts at illegally crossing the border, especially by men, Ukrainian citizens aged from 18 to 60, whose trans-border travel is temporarily limited. For instance, we have detained a total of 3,250 such persons going through green corridors (outside checkpoints) since February 24," Ukrainian media outlets quoted Demchenko as saying at a press briefing at the Ukraine media center in Kyiv on Tuesday.

There are also attempts to leave Ukraine through checkpoints with fake documents, Demchenko said. "There were 900 persons of the kind," he added.

The daily passenger traffic remains at 80,000 or 85,000 both ways, Demchenko said.

"We are not observing lines on exits from Ukraine. The number of cars waiting for their turn to enter Ukraine through checkpoints in neighboring countries has also considerably reduced, there are practically no such lines," he said.

On the whole, 8.7 million people have crossed the border both ways since February 24, including 5.4 million people who left the country. Most of them, 4.8 million people, are citizens of Ukraine, Demchenko said.

"Meanwhile, 2.8 million Ukrainian citizens crossed into Ukraine over that period. The largest passenger traffic is still seen on the border with Poland," he said.