Two human skeletons found on the border with Romania in the Carpathians: one of the dead has already been identified
27 August 19:21
Ukrainian border guards found the remains of two people while patrolling in the Carpathians, on the border with Romania. One of the victims has been identified as a 36-year-old native of Luhansk region who had previously tried to illegally cross the border. This was reported by the press service of the State Border Guard Service, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Details from the SBGS.
On the night of August 27, a border patrol of the Veliatyno department of the Mukachevo detachment, while patrolling near Mount Frasyn, came across fragments of a human skeleton. According to preliminary data, the bones could have been damaged by wild animals.
Nearby they found parts of clothing, a camouflaged backpack, a bag and documents. They belonged to a 36-year-old man from Luhansk region. Border guards clarified that back in November 2023, he had already tried to illegally cross the border into Romania – he was detained and fined by the Khust District Court.
The police were informed of the discovery, and the final cause of death is to be determined by an expert examination.
Another case.
The other day, in another area – in the mountains of Ivano-Frankivsk region, on a section controlled by the “Shybeni” border guard department – border guards found another human skeleton. They did not find any documents or personal belongings that would allow them to identify the person.
Context.
Since the outbreak of full-scale war on the Ukrainian-Romanian and Ukrainian-Hungarian borders, cases of illegal crossing attempts have become more frequent, particularly through the mountain passes of the Carpathians. These routes often become deadly due to the difficult terrain, bad weather, and lack of proper training of people trying to cross the mountains. Border guards regularly report on illegal migrants rescued in the mountains or tragic cases where they find people who are already dead.
- 2022. Border guards record hundreds of detentions every month. In the Carpathian Mountains, rescuers repeatedly found exhausted men who had gotten lost in the mountains or suffered frostbite. There were also the first deaths.
- 2023. According to the State Border Guard Service, the number of illegal attempts remained high – thousands of cases every year. In the border areas, “guides” were active, leading groups through inaccessible passes for money. From time to time, they were exposed and brought to justice.
- 2024. The schemes became more organized: some groups used drones, GPS navigation, and even river crossings. At the same time, the number of tragic incidents in the mountains increased. The SBGS regularly warned of deadly risks.
- 2025. Border guards estimate that the flow of illegal attempts has decreased compared to the peak in 2022-2023, but still remains consistently high. The Carpathians remain one of the most dangerous areas: people die of exhaustion, hypothermia, or injuries in the mountains.
