The SSU and the National Police have dismantled three new schemes used by conscription-aged men to evade mobilization. The suspects detained include a professor and an associate professor of Ukrainian higher education institutions.

For bribes, the individuals involved helped men obtain deferral from conscription using forged documents about their education or ‘poor’ health.

In Poltava region, a professor at a private university was detained for facilitating enrollment of potential conscripts in bachelor’s, master’s and postgraduate programs at a local state university without entrance exams.

He also offered the evaders fictitious ‘treatment’ in a psychiatric clinic to write them off the military register for health reasons.

For both options, the organizer used personal connections among education officials and doctors.

In Zakarpattia region, an associate professor of the history department of a local university was detained when she took a bribe for illegally enrolling ‘applicants’.

According to the investigation, she personally ‘accompanied her clients’ during the formal entrance exams.

The official then brought the students’ certificates to the local Territorial Recruitment Center, where they were granted deferrals.

In Kharkiv region, a local entrepreneur and two of his accomplices have received suspicion notices – they deferred mobilization for persons liable for military service using a similar scheme.

The fraudsters arranged for the evaders to go to a local college, where they did not actually study, while the fictitious education certificates were provided to the Territorial Recruitment Center.

The perpetrators in the described cases have been notified of suspicion (in accordance with the crimes committed) under the Articles of the CCU:

• 28.2, 114-1.1 (obstructing the lawful activities of the AFU, during a special period, committed upon prior conspiracy, by a group);
• 368.3 (acceptance of an offer, promise or receipt of an unlawful benefit by an official);
• 369-2.2 (abuse of influence).

The suspects face up to 10 years in prison with confiscation of property.

The operations were carried out by the SSU Offices in Kharkiv, Poltava and Zakarpattia regions jointly with the National Police under the procedural supervision of regional Prosecutor’s Offices.