The Tisza Has Shallowed; Border Guards Stretched the Yegoza Wire Used to Kill Wild Animals to Catch Draft Dodgers — Human Rights Defenders Sound the Alarm

Due to record drought in the Tisa (Tisza), border guards installed along the Ukrainian bank a coil of barbed wire called “Yegozha” to block offenders from crossing to Hungary in shallow water. But this spiraled barrier harms not only people but also wild animals. Such wire turns the border into a deadly trap for deer, elks, wild boars, birds, and bats. The worst situation developed in the valley part of the region—in the rivers Uzh, Latoritsa, and the Tisa itself—where in the summer the water level fell to critical levels.

Attorney Oleg Leontyev wrote about it on his Facebook page. He stressed that the water levels of the Zakarpattia region’s rivers this summer dropped to 25 percent of normal, and it is precisely because of the Tisa’s drought that people are increasingly trying to cross the border on foot. To prevent such crossings, border guards wrapped sections of the shoreline with spiral-armored wire of the type “Yegozha” — a construction with stamped razor blades, initially developed for military purposes and perimeters of facilities, not for natural riverbank areas.

“If ordinary concertina wire with spikes inflicts stabbing wounds, then ‘Yegozha’ acts like many sharp blades that instantly slice skin, muscles, and vessels,” the attorney said.

The post’s author explains that the spiral design works on a spring principle: when an animal tries to squeeze through or panics, the coils tighten and entangle the victim even more. The animal cannot free itself from such a trap. Large mammals sustain deep lacerations, torn tendons and arteries, leading to rapid blood loss. Small animals, birds, and bats, entangled in the blades, can die within days from dehydration, hunger, or pain shock if not found by people.

The wire blocked wildlife migration routes along the border.

Another problem is the length of such barriers. Installing “Yegozha” on large stretches of the border or around forested areas blocks natural migratory routes of ungulates. During seasonal herd movements or when animals flee forest fires, such barriers can cause mass die-offs — animals simply get crushed against an insurmountable obstacle.

The problem arose precisely because of the anomalous drought: the rivers’ drying made crossing the border on foot easier than ever, and the response was to fortify engineering barriers at the most vulnerable shoreline sections.

The Tisa takes lives and becomes a battleground for border disputes.

An informant reported that at the beginning of August two Hungarian youths ended up on the Ukrainian bank of the Tisa — one was rescued by border guards, and the other drowned in the river. This incident further confirms how unpredictable and dangerous the river remains even for those who are not trying to cross illegally.

We also wrote that Ukraine and Romania agreed to build a bridge over the Tisa, and Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko reported on this agreement with the Romanian side. A new legal crossing over the river would relieve border crossing points and give people an official alternative to dangerous informal crossings.