‘Deceptively close’ Fearing mobilization, some Ukrainians are risking a treacherous swim to Romania. Scammers are cashing in.

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‘Deceptively close’ Fearing mobilization, some Ukrainians are risking a treacherous swim to Romania. Scammers are cashing in.

The Tysa River and the Velykyi Bychkiv settlement Fearing they’ll be drafted and sent to the front, thousands of Ukrainian men have fled across the Tysa River into Romania. Smugglers exploit their desperation, often charging thousands of dollars to ferry people across before offering just a life jacket or a flimsy rubber boat at the river’s edge. At least 22 people have lost their lives attempting to swim across the Tysa since the beginning of t…