In the Odesa region, an official is suspected of organizing a booking scheme

Monthly payments of 10,000 hryvnias for a fictitious exemption from mobilization became one of the key elements of the criminal case. One of the participants in the scheme testified against Vladislav Raspoporsky, director of the Housing and Utilities Department of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi City Council.

This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations.

Investigators believe that after martial law was imposed, cases of fictitious employment of conscripts at critical infrastructure enterprises became widespread. Such employees received exemptions from mobilization, even though they did not actually perform any job duties. It is based on this theory that law enforcement officials are investigating the activities of the municipal enterprise “Housing and Maintenance Association No. 1” in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi.

According to the case file, in July 2025, the enterprise was designated as a critical infrastructure facility. Following this, several men subject to military service were hired there and soon received deferments from mobilization. At the same time, investigators suspect that some of them were merely listed on the payroll and did not perform the duties assigned to them.

The testimony of one such employee drew particular attention from law enforcement. He stated that in December 2025, he received a WhatsApp call from a man whom investigators identified as the head of the Department of Housing and Communal Services and Capital Construction of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi City Council.

According to the witness, he was told that in order to use the reservation service, he would need to pay 10,000 hryvnias monthly. The man reported that following this conversation, he regularly transferred money to a bank card using the provided account details. 

During a search of the official’s apartment in early April, law enforcement officers seized an invitation from the Bulgarian transportation company Bolgar Auto addressed to Raspopovsky. Investigators also found an order authorizing a business trip to Bulgaria, which lasted from October 20 to December 20, 2025, and was related to the exchange of expertise in the field of transportation logistics and technical maintenance.

Subsequently, searches were also conducted at the residences of other individuals involved in the case and at the city council department’s offices. Law enforcement officers seized documents, official correspondence, and lists of employees who had received reservations. The court placed the documents under seizure.

The pretrial investigation is ongoing under charges of illegally transporting conscripts across the state border and official forgery. Investigators are identifying all possible participants in the scheme, examining the circumstances surrounding the booking process, and tracing the flow of funds that may have been paid for fictitious employment.

As Intent reported, searches were also conducted in April at the official’s office. At that time, law enforcement officers seized an iPhone XS, three flash drives, and two IOUs—one for 14,000 U.S. dollars and one for 10,000 hryvnias. All items were admitted as physical evidence in the case.

Анна Бальчінос