In Odesa region, border guard tried to bribe a colleague to flee abroad

Law enforcement officers detained a border guard inspector in Odesa region on suspicion of providing an unlawful benefit to an official.

According to the press service of the Specialized Defense Prosecutor's Office of the Southern Region, in early June, the suspect, being an active serviceman of a military unit, decided to illegally cross the state border of Ukraine bypassing checkpoints.

In order to realize his criminal intent, he tried to bribe the head of a group of one of the departments of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. The suspect offered the official a cash reward in the amount of USD 2 thousand to USD 3 thousand for assistance in transferring him to the Republic of Moldova. In particular, it was about providing official information on the placement of border patrols, photo traps and advice on a safe route outside the established checkpoints.

The plan was to cross the river near the settlements of Mayaki, Troitske and Yasky in Odesa region. To do this, the suspect asked to buy him a boat, promising a separate payment for it.

On June 18, 2025, law enforcement officers documented the transfer of an unlawful benefit in the amount of USD 2.5 thousand. After that, the suspect was detained.

He has now been chosen as a measure of restraint in the form of detention with an alternative in the form of bail in the amount of UAH 302.8 thousand.

Earlier, the police detained two residents of Odesa district on suspicion of facilitating the illegal transportation of men abroad. A 42-year-old resident of Odesa district, at the suggestion of a currently unidentified person, agreed to illegally transport four men liable for military service from Odesa to the border with a neighboring state for a cash reward of $2,000.

To transport the clients, he engaged two fellow villagers with cars - a 47-year-old man, who was told the purpose of the trip and promised a fee, and a 32-year-old woman, who was not told about the illegal intentions.

Кирило Бойко