Mykolaiv arrests serviceman for attempting to pay off wanted list for WMD

In Mykolaiv, a court remanded in custody a serviceman suspected of attempting to bribe an official to avoid responsibility for leaving the military unit without permission. According to the investigation, the man offered the officer thousands of dollars for several days in a row to stop the search.

This is evidenced by the decision of the Central District Court of Mykolaiv.

According to the investigation, in August 2025, the suspect was released on parole to serve his sentence for contract military service. He was sent to one of the military units, but on January 1, 2026, he left the place of service without permission and was wanted for almost four months.

At the end of April, the soldier was brought to a military camp after being found by law enforcement. According to the investigation, the man immediately began offering a bribe of $5,000 to the head of the search department so that he would not register him as a person who had left the unit without permission, stop the search, and "let him go."

The court materials state that the officer repeatedly refused the money and explained to the suspect that he could use the procedure of exemption from criminal liability as a first-time offender. However, the military officer continued to insist on the bribe, arguing that he had four children and was not going to continue serving.

After the officer appealed to law enforcement, further actions were carried out under the control of investigators. According to the investigation, the suspect repeated his offer, and later decided to transfer a part of the amount - one thousand dollars.

In early May, in the office of the head of the detective department, the man handed over UAH 14,700 to the official as part of the agreed bribe. Immediately afterwards, law enforcement officers detained him.

The next day, the detainee was notified of being suspected of bribing an official. The court remanded the suspect in custody until June 29, 2026. At the same time, the judge determined the possibility of bail in the amount of UAH 665,600.

Also in Mykolaiv region, law enforcement officers exposed a doctor of the military medical commission who is suspected of extorting a bribe from a wounded soldier. According to the investigation, the doctor asked for UAH 13,000 for issuing a medical report that could have been the basis for dismissal from service.

Анна Бальчінос