The SSU has blocked new schemes of draft evasion and illegal departure of potential conscripts abroad.

As a result of the operations, organizers were detained in different regions of Ukraine. They offered men to escape to the EU using counterfeit documents or bypassing border checkpoints.

The ‘services’ cost between USD 3,000 and 10,000, depending on the urgency and method of escape.

Due to the SSU’s prompt response, over 50 potential recruits were prevented from illegally leaving Ukraine.

In Kyiv:

The law enforcement neutralized a criminal group that included two officials of medical institutions and the head of a local NGO.

The members of the group fabricated medical reports for their clients, certifying that the latter had serious diseases.

The fake documents were then submitted to the Medical and Social Examination Centre to assign the second and third disability groups for the evaders.

They planned to use the fake certificates to illegally depart from Ukraine.

In Chernivtsi:

Another three officials of local hospitals were caught selling fake medical certificates on mental illnesses.

To hide the scheme, its organizers issued ‘hospitalization and discharge papers’ for their clients.

Based on these ‘documents’, the men were removed from the military register due to their medical condition.

In Lviv:

A medical worker was detained ‘red-handed’ for selling fake medical and social examination certificates of disability.

In Cherkasy region:

The SSU exposed the head of a private construction company who for money assisted in obtaining disability certificates for wives of potential conscripts. Their husbands planned to go abroad with spouses as accompanying persons.

In Khmelnytskyi region:

A local barber was detained for organizing smuggling of draft evaders to the EU.

In confidential conversations, he offered his clients ‘help’ in escaping abroad. His accomplice arranged the crossing outside the border checkpoints.

Investigations are ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the offences and bring those involved to justice.

The operations were carried out jointly with the National Police under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor’s Office.