The SSU and the Prosecutor General’s Office, with the assistance of the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and the Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, have shut down another mobilization evasion scheme.

Three organizers of the scheme were detained in Kyiv region. They were heads of two district Territorial Recruitment Centers and their accomplice, a citizen of the South Caucasus.

During the searches of the suspects’ homes and cars, the SSU found over USD 1.2 million. The perpetrators kept most of this cash in specially equipped caches under the floor and behind the wall paneling of their houses.

According to the investigation, the TRC officials offered their ‘assistance’ to conscripts in evading the draft using forged documents on their medical condition.

The cost of ‘services’ amounted to USD 37,000 per a man.

This included the preparation of a full ‘package’ of documents, including fictitious medical certificates, as well as ‘support’ during the military medical commission.

To implement the scheme, the officials used personal connections in the medical commission involved in the scheme.

Fake documents were then used to remove potential recruits from the military register, allowing them to escape abroad.

The corrupt officials engaged their acquaintance, a foreigner, to search for the evaders and hand over money.

The SSU Military Counterintelligence detained the intermediary in a Kyiv restaurant when he was receiving USD 50,000 from new clients. After that, both TRC officials were detained in their offices.

Additionally, during the searches in the foreigner’s home, the SSU found a large number of weapons, including a pistol with a silencer, the origin of which is currently being established.

SSU investigators have now served the detainees notices of suspicion under two Articles of the CCU:

• 114-1.1 (obstruction of the AFU’s lawful activities and other military formations);
• 369.3 (unlawful benefit given to an official holding a responsible position, committed upon prior conspiracy, by a group).

The suspects face up to 8 years in prison.

The operation was carried out jointly with the Land Forces Command and the Medical Forces Command of the AFU under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor General’s Office.