Fictitious bookings at utility companies revealed in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi

In Odesa, a court seized property in a case involving an alleged scheme of fictitious employment of persons liable for military service to evade mobilization. According to the investigation, a utility company was used to hire employees who did not actually work but received a deferral.

This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations.

Investigators believe that under martial law, some enterprises that received the status of critical importance could be used as a tool for formal employment of persons liable for military service. As a result, such persons received so-called "reservations" that allowed them to avoid service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In particular, it was established that the municipal enterprise "Housing and Maintenance Association No. 1" in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, after acquiring the status of critical importance, began to employ people in various positions. One of these "employees," who was appointed a public procurement specialist in August 2025, actually resides in Kyiv and is registered as a special case. Another employee, who was hired in September 2025 as a building maintenance worker, lives in Odesa and is also on a special registration until at least July 2026.

Another person involved, who is officially listed as an emergency repairman, is in fact the founder of another company and does not carry out any activities within the municipal institution. He was previously considered to be evading military registration, but that status was later revoked.

Law enforcement officials emphasize that all of these individuals were only formally employed by the company, actually lived in other cities and did not perform any work. At the same time, the investigation established that one of these "employed" persons paid about UAH 10 thousand per month to receive a fictitious reservation.

According to preliminary data, the director of the local department of housing and communal services may be involved in organizing this scheme. As part of the investigation, law enforcement officers conducted searches at the suspects' residences and in the office of the head of the Department of Housing and Capital Construction of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi City Council.

During the searches, the law enforcement officers seized a white iPhone XS mobile phone, three flash drives, and two receipts. One of them relates to a loan in the amount of USD 14 thousand, dated February 8, 2026, and the other to a debt obligation for UAH 10 thousand dated July 18, 2024. On the same day, the investigator recognized these items as material evidence in the criminal proceedings.

According to the official website of the city council, the department is headed by Vladyslav Rasporovskyi. The court concluded that the seized property could be essential for establishing the circumstances of the case, so it seized it with a ban on its use and disposal.

Earlier, the CPR wrote that in Odesa, a scheme to evade mobilization through fictitious employment at a utility company was exposed, which allowed men to receive reservations and travel abroad. The court granted investigators access to documents to identify all those involved and check the role of officials in the illegal organization of the departure.

Last year, Intent conducted an investigation into a scandal involving fake reservations for 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