In Odessa, a soldier in the National Guard formed a gang and extorted money from business owners

A court in Odessa convicted a member of the military who deserted and formed a gang of extortionists. The group used beatings and threats to extort money from Odessa residents under the pretext of collecting nonexistent debts, and they involved a minor in their crimes.

This was reported by the Odessa Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

The gang was formed by a 28-year-old soldier who had deserted his post and had previously been convicted of a crime. He assigned roles to his accomplices, selected victims, chose methods of coercion, and planned the attacks.

He recruited a 21-year-old resident of the Odessa region— whohad previously been convicted of assault—as well as a minor acquaintance with whom he shared an apartment to participate in the criminal scheme.

<picture></picture><span>  </span>Photo: Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office<span> </span>

<span>In early 2026</span>, the suspects extorted a total of nearly $27,000 from three victims under the pretext of repaying nonexistent debts.

One of the victims was stalked for several weeks and threatened with physical violence. First, they ambushed him in the Primorsky District, where the ringleader beat the man and demanded money.

A week later, the attackers encountered him again near his home in the Khadzhibey District. Threatening him with a telescopic baton, they forced the man into a Tesla, drove him to another location, and, under duress, took another $10,000 from him.

<picture></picture>Arrest of a gang member. Photo: Odessa Regional Prosecutor’s Office

The investigation uncovered two additional incidents. In one case, the suspects beat an Odessa resident and took his money under the pretext of negotiating a freight shipment. In another, they lured the victim to a meeting ostensibly to measure windows, surrounded him, and struck him in the chin, after which the man handed over everything he had.

The ringleader and his 21-year-old accomplice were sentenced to 7 years and 9 months and 7 years in prison, respectively. They were charged with unlawful deprivation of liberty, extortion, carrying bladed weapons, and involving a minor in criminal activity.

Their 17-year-old accomplice pleaded guilty. Under a plea agreement, the court sentenced him to 5 years in prison, followed by a 2-year probationary period.

Ірина Глухова