In Odesa, bail of smuggler of conscripts across the border is released to the Armed Forces of Ukraine

In Odesa, a court returned to the state the bail posted for a suspect in the organization of the illegal transportation of men across the border to Moldova. The money was decided to be transferred to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine after the accused disappeared.

This is evidenced by the decision of the Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa.

According to the investigation, in early 2026, a group of people organized a scheme for the illegal departure of men to the Transnistrian region of Moldova outside official checkpoints. The organizer searched for people willing to leave Ukraine during martial law, instructed them and coordinated the border crossing route.

Law enforcement officers found that one of the clients was offered to leave for USD 6,500. The man was sent the coordinates of a place near the border in Rozdilnyanskyi district of Odesa region, as well as detailed instructions on the route and time of travel.

On February 14, 2026, the client arrived by train to the village of Novoborysivka, where he met with the organizer's accomplices. He was taken by car to the outskirts of the village of Yosypivka, approximately 300 meters from the state border. There, he handed over the agreed amount of money to the organizers, but the operation was disrupted by the State Border Guard Service.

The defendant was served a notice of suspicion of organizing the smuggling of conscripts across the state border for mercenary purposes. The court sent him to custody with the possibility of bail in the amount of UAH 266,240.

In April, the suspect was released from the pre-trial detention center after posting bail, but later stopped appearing before the investigator and the court, violating his obligations. As a result, he was put on the wanted list.

The court concluded that the suspect had violated the terms of the preventive measure, so the bail was forfeited to the state. The funds are to be transferred to a special account of the National Bank of Ukraine to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In April, the High Council of Justice decided to dismiss the head of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi City District Court of Odesa Oblast, Valentyn Zaveriukha, from his post. He is suspected of involvement in the organization of a scheme to illegally transport men subject to military service abroad to avoid mobilization.

Анна Бальчінос