Ukrainian border guards have detained a citizen of the Russian Federation in Sumy region who tried to illegally enter Ukraine and motivated his intentions by the fact that he is being persecuted by the Russian special services for political and religious convictions.

Last night the border guards of the Krasnopillia department of the Sumy detachment with the help of a night vision device detained a Russian citizen, a 25-year-old resident of Moscow, who tried to illegally enter Ukraine crossing the border outside the checkpoint, the press service of the State Border Service of Ukraine reported on Saturday.

During the proper measure, he applied for refugee status, explaining that he was persecuted at home by representatives of Russian special services for his political and religious views. In addition, the other day he was charged for committing an offense under the article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for inciting hatred and enmity.

"Since he was put on the federal wanted list and because of the risk of being detained by Russian border guards at the checkpoint, the man decided to enter Ukraine illegally by crossing the state border on its "green" section," the frontier department said.

In the near future the man will be handed over in the established order to the competent authorities.