In Vinnytsia, the Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police have dismantled another mobilization evasion scheme. Five members of a criminal group were detained – for money, they enrolled conscripts into the ranks of a fake ‘volunteer battalion’.

According to the investigation, the perpetrators included mobilization evaders in a public association that posed as a ‘volunteer battalion’. Its branches were also present in Zakarpattia, Lviv, Chernivtsi, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions.

However, the unit had no connection to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and was used by the group to ‘cover up’ their criminal activities.

The cost of a ‘membership ID’ ranged from USD 2 to 5 thousand.

After enrolling in the sham battalion, its organisers promised the draft dodgers to physically ‘defend’ them from the Territorial Recruitment Centres and law enforcement agencies.

To this end, a so-called ‘force wing’ was set up, which would come ‘on call’ if members were questioned by TRCs and National Police during document checks.

The criminal group ‘recruited’ over three dozen conscripts who were hiding from mobilisation to the fake battalion.

The SSU documented the crime and detained all of the organizers. A price list with rates for joining the ‘unit’, IDs, notes confirming payments from draft evaders were found during searches.

SSU investigators have notified the detainees of suspicion under two Articles of the CCU:

• 114-1.1 (obstruction of the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations);
• 345.4 (threats or violence against a law enforcement officer, committed by an organized group).

The court is to decide on custody as a measure of restraint. The suspects face up to 14 years in prison.

The operation was carried out by the SSU Office in Vinnytsia region together with the National Police under the procedural supervision of the regional Prosecutor’s Office.