Law enforcement officials in the Mykolaiv region uncovered a scheme involving combat pay in the TrO brigade

War not only changes the rules of service but also creates new risks of misuse of budget funds. Law enforcement officials in the Mykolaiv region are currently investigating one such case. 

This was reported by Intent, citing a ruling by the Central District Court of Mykolaiv.

According to investigators, officials from one of the territorial defense brigades may have organized a scheme under which certain servicemembers were paid so-called “combat” allowances, even though they were not actually in combat zones or on the front lines.

Investigators believe the battalion commander may have been the mastermind behind the scheme. To carry it out, he enlisted the platoon commander, who recruited service members to illegally receive the additional payments. They were supposed to hand over a portion of the funds received to the platoon commander.

During the investigation, operatives identified two servicemen who may have been involved in the scheme. To verify the information, investigators petitioned the court to grant access to mobile operator data.

This includes information on phone calls, text messages, geolocation, and the addresses of the cell towers through which the connections were made. Law enforcement is focusing on the period from January 1, 2025, to June 10, 2026.

According to investigators, this information will help identify the suspects’ network of contacts, confirm or refute their communication with each other and with other military personnel, and verify the circumstances surrounding the possible commission of a crime.

The investigating judge agreed with the law enforcement agencies’ arguments and granted the motion. Investigators were granted temporary access to documents and electronic data held by the mobile operator.

Updated: Information published in this article on June 29, 2026, at 8:48 a.m. states that, according to the investigation, it was officials from one of the Mykolaiv region’s territorial defense brigades who may have organized a scheme under which certain servicemen were paid so-called “combat” allowances, even though they were not actually in combat zones or on the front lines, is untrue and unreliable; accordingly, changes have been made to the text of this article.

In addition, a military unit commander in the Kherson region was exposed and is suspected of being involved in a corruption scheme involving combat allowances. According to investigators, he demanded that one of his subordinates hand over a portion of his monthly pay and additional bonuses every month. 

Анна Бальчінос