AFU officers "earned" 7 million on phantom fighters

Law enforcement officers served suspicion notices to four officers of a military unit who, according to investigators, organized the fictitious service of 60 "dead souls."

According to the Odesa Specialized Defense Prosecutor's Office in the Southern Region, the company of phantom soldiers was created by the former commander of a separate electronic warfare battalion, his deputy, the unit's deputy commander for logistics, and the company commander.

"The suspects falsified documents on recruiting civilians for service and received monetary and material support for them. In total, the state suffered over UAH 7.7 million in losses. In addition, the suspects allegedly sold excessive amounts of food intended for "dead souls, " the statement said.

All four are charged with misappropriation of property by abuse of office, committed repeatedly, as part of an organized group, under martial law.

Also, a lieutenant colonel of a military unit in Odesa region used his subordinates for other purposes - instead of serving on the front line, he sent them to make repairs in his apartment. Four soldiers spent four months repairing an apartment in the city of Podilsk instead of performing combat missions at the front.

Earlier in Odesa, a military officer was prosecuted for taking bribes and obstructing mobilization. The investigation established that the soldier, using his official position, demanded a bribe of USD 1,000 from an entrepreneur for not taking mobilization measures against him and the employees of his service station. In addition, he promised to deliver summonses signed and stamped by his superiors, as well as to provide information on the location of mobilization groups to avoid delivery of summonses.

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