The Security Service, the State Bureau of Investigations, and the National Police have blocked eight new schemes for evading mobilisation and detained their organizers in several regions of Ukraine.

For sums of up to USD 10,000 they offered conscripts the opportunity to evade conscription through fake documents or by fleeing abroad.

In Kyiv region, the rector of an academy and two of his subordinates were exposed for fictitiously hiring draft evaders for work or study at their university. The new students and lab assistants, however, never showed up at the academy.

The head of the university involved an entrepreneur in the crime, who sought ‘clients’.

Another group of organisers, detained in Kyiv, fictitiously employed draft dodgers at enterprises and provided ‘reservations’ from conscription. They also forged disability certificates. As has been established, they managed to issue false documents to over 100 people.

In Odesa region, the chief of staff of one of the city courts was declared suspect for offering conscripts fictitious certification for ‘caring for a close relative’. To operate the scheme, she promised ‘clients’ that she would influence the ‘necessary’ decisions of judges.

The SSU and border guards also detained a 33-year-old businessman who involved two transporters and an employee of Ukrainian Railways in the scheme.

The evaders were transported to the border by freight locomotives. To do this, ‘clients’ were issued fake assistant engineer certificates and fictitious travel documents.

In Kirovohrad region, another organiser was uncovered. She is a 54-year-old woman with a second degree of disability who offered draft dodgers to marry her in order to obtain a guardianship certificate and be able to travel abroad.

In Dnipropetrovsk region, the SSU and SBI detained two local residents who, with the help of an accomplice in the Territorial Recruitment Centre, unjustifiably ‘removed’ conscripts from military registration.

Having access to the database, the TRC employee entered information about the ‘unsuitability of the clients’ for military service based on forged conclusions of the Military Medical Commission.

In Lviv region, a lawyer was apprehended for offering men to ‘resolve the issue’ of disability status.

In Sumy, four perpetrators were exposed: they registered draft dodgers as ‘teachers’ at a fake educational institution in order to exempt them from conscription.

The detainees have been notified of suspicion under the following Articles of the CCU, according to the crimes committed:

• 28.2, 114-1.1 (obstruction of the lawful activities of the AFU, during a special period, committed by a group, upon prior conspiracy);
• 332.3 (illegal transportation of persons across the state border);
• 358.3 (forgery of documents, seals, stamps, and forms, sale or use of forged documents, seals, stamps, upon prior conspiracy by a group of persons);
• 369-2.2, 369-2.3 (abuse of influence).

The suspects face up to 9 years in prison with confiscation of property.

The operations were carried out by the SSU regional offices in cooperation with the State Bureau of Investigation, the National Police, and the State Border Guard Service, under the procedural guidance of the Prosecutor’s Offices.