Mykolaiv exposes scheme of conscript evasion through expert medical commissions

In Mykolaiv, law enforcement officers uncovered a fraudulent scheme to issue fake disability certificates to conscripts. This allowed them to evade military registration and travel abroad.

This is evidenced by the ruling of the Zavodskyi District Court of Mykolaiv.

According to the pre-trial investigation, no later than October 2025, a local resident who had connections among officials of medical and social expert commissions for assessing the daily functioning of a person (formerly MSECs) organized a corruption scheme. The case involves a municipal non-profit enterprise of the Mykolaiv City Council, the Primary Health Care Center No. 3.

He searched for men of military age who wanted to get a disability group, advised them on the "procedure" and promised to influence officials to make the necessary decisions.

Subsequently, one of the defendants in the case contacted a man wanted by the TCC via messenger and offered to help him get deregistered from the military register. On the same day, in the evening, they met in a Mercedes-Benz car in Mykolaiv. During the conversation, the organizer of the scheme explained that he could obtain a disability through officials of expert teams - by fictitiously examining, creating a fake medical history and issuing sick leave.

According to him, the disability was supposed to be granted for one year. To make his case, he showed medical certificates, MRIs, CT scans, and other documents issued in the names of unauthorized persons.

On October 12, during the next meeting, the suspect announced the cost of his "services" - USD 8200. The money was to be transferred in two stages: first $4200, and then another $4000. This amount, he said, was intended to influence officials who make decisions on granting disability, which further allows him to be removed from military registration and leave Ukraine.

On October 18, 2025, the man who agreed to the offer was already under law enforcement control. During a meeting near a shopping center in Mykolaiv, he handed over the first part of the bribe. Immediately afterwards, the suspect was detained in accordance with Article 208 of the CPC of Ukraine.

During the inspection of the detainee's cell phone, investigators found correspondence that suggested that a doctor who helped with the preparation of medical documents for disability registration might have been involved in the scheme.

The court granted the investigators' motion and authorized temporary access to the suspect's cell phone and laptop with the possibility of extracting information. The obtained data will be used for further investigation and identification of all persons involved in the corruption scheme.

At the end of the year, a court in Mykolaiv considered a case of organized corruption scheme to evade conscription and mobilization. One of the defendants, a doctor at a municipal clinic, managed to avoid liability due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.

Анна Бальчінос