A scheme of deferral from mobilization was discovered in a municipal enterprise in Odesa

In Odesa, law enforcement officers uncovered a scheme that allowed men to avoid mobilization through fictitious employment at a utility company. Thanks to this, they received reservations and were able to travel abroad without hindrance.

This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations.

The court allowed investigators to access documents to find out who was behind the scheme and what role officials might have played in it.

According to the investigation, a group of people operated in the Peresypskyi district of Odesa and the region, finding men who were liable for military service and ready to leave Ukraine illegally during martial law. They were offered two options in exchange for money: either illegal border crossing or a more "legal" way - registration of a fictitious job.

We are talking about a utility company that has the status of a critical enterprise. This gives it the right to reserve employees from mobilization. The investigation believes that the men were employed there only "on paper" - they did not actually work, but received a deferral.

After that, such "workers" quietly went abroad and, according to preliminary data, did not return to Ukraine.

To understand the situation, the investigators requested access to the documents on employment at this company since September 2025. The court allowed this and gave the right to seize both paper and electronic materials.

These documents are expected to help identify all those involved, including checking whether the company's executives were involved in the scheme.

According to the YouControl analytical system, the company in question is the Odesa-based Specialized Utility Company. It has been operating since 1993, has a statutory fund of about UAH 2 million, and organizes burials. The authorized persons are Valeriy Shevyakov and Halyna Makarenko.

This company is already involved in another criminal proceeding. Thus, according to a ruling of the Kyiv District Court of Odesa, in December 2025, the court considered a case of extortion for "influence" on the decisions of officials. The amount was about $1,000.

According to the investigation, one of the defendants, who works in the field of funeral services, could have demanded money to resolve issues through his connections in the government. He allegedly conducted negotiations in an office without a sign in the building of the pathomorphology complex on Akademika Vorobyova Street. Investigators believed that it was there that "services" were discussed and agreements were made with clients.

During the search of the company, law enforcement officers seized documents and items that could be evidence. The director of the company did not object to their arrest and asked to consider the matter without his participation. As a result, the court seized the seized property.

Last year, Intent wrote about the scandal with fictitious booking of employees of public utilities. Despite the criminal proceedings, the criticality status was restored even to those housing and communal services whose managers are under investigation.

Анна Бальчінос