In Odessa, a government official demanded $11,000 in exchange for disability benefits and a deferral

In Odessa, a court seized a car in connection with a case involving a government official suspected of receiving an illegal benefit in exchange for influencing decisions regarding disability status and deferrals from mobilization. According to the investigation, the woman demanded $11,000 in exchange for assistance in resolving this matter.

As stated in the ruling of the Peresypsky District Court of Odessa, the criminal case is being investigated by the State Bureau of Investigations under the procedural supervision of the Odessa Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Defense Affairs of the Southern Region.

According to investigators, the suspect worked at an agency involved in military registration and, through a lawyer she knew, offered to “resolve the issue” of obtaining a third-group disability status and subsequently securing a deferment from mobilization. For this, she allegedly demanded 11,000 U.S. dollars, insisting that it would be impossible to do so without her help.

According to the case file, on July 20, 2026, during a meeting at a restaurant in Odessa, the woman received the first installment of the bribe —$6,200—after which she was detained by law enforcement officers.

The court also determined that the suspect was using a Jeep Renegade registered in her daughter’s name. Investigators believe the vehicle may in fact belong to the suspect, so it has been seized and a restriction on its disposal has been imposed.

Furthermore, according to the investigation, the combined official income of the suspect and her daughter amounts to approximately 1.4 million hryvnias, while the value of their movable and immovable property exceeds 4.5 million hryvnias, which is also being verified as part of the criminal proceedings.

Андрій Колісніченко