Court Sentences Military Officer for Cable Thefts in Mykolaiv, Releases Him on Probation

In Mykolaiv region, a court handed down a verdict on cable thefts organized by a criminal group that included a military officer. The defendant was released from punishment, although he faced 5 years in prison.

The Zhovtnevyi District Court delivered a verdict in the case of thefts of communication cables organized by an organized criminal group, which included a military officer. A native of Zelene village, Petrivskyi district, Kirovohrad region, who served under mobilization, was dismissed from the Armed Forces after being wounded and involved in criminal activity.

According to the case, one of the defendants organized a group to steal underground metal cables belonging to Ukrgaztekhzvjazok JSC Ukrtransgaz in Mykolaiv district. The criminals used metal detectors to locate the cables, dig them up, heat-treat them, remove the copper part and sell them for scrap.

The group consisted of four other people, each of whom had clearly defined roles: from providing transportation and equipment to performing cable removal and processing. In the course of the criminal scheme, cables with a total length of more than 17 kilometers were stolen. The total losses to the company amounted to almost UAH 1.8 million.

The court found the defendant guilty under Part 5 of Art. 185, Part 3 of Art. 28 and Part 2 of Art. 360 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and released him from serving a 3-year probationary sentence, subject to probation.

The man has to register with the probation office, report any change of place of residence or work, and is prohibited from traveling outside Ukraine without permission.

Recently, a serviceman in Kherson region was suspected of disclosing information about the location of the Armed Forces and leaving his unit without permission. In October 2024, while in a place of temporary deployment, he filmed a video on his cell phone that showed operational information, including maps and symbols. He currently faces up to 10 years in prison.

A resident of Kherson region was also sentenced to imprisonment for aiding the occupiers. He held a managerial position at the Kherson Railway and provided railroad communication between the occupied territories, organizing the repair and modernization of freight cars for the export of stolen Ukrainian grain.

Анна Бальчінос