Mykolaiv investigates booking scheme through sports schools

In Mykolaiv, a court allowed investigators to access bank documents in a case of a possible corruption scheme involving fictitious employment of conscripts in sports facilities in the city. According to law enforcement, the men could have been hired for bribes to get reservations and avoid mobilization.

This is stated in the decision of the Central District Court of Mykolaiv.

According to the investigation, the criminal proceedings were opened on December 25, 2025, under the article on bribery by an official. Law enforcement officials suspect that officials in the field of physical culture and sports of the Mykolaiv City Council may have organized a scheme of illegal enrichment.

According to the ruling, men liable for military service were fictitiously employed in subordinate sports facilities. Formally, they became employees of the institutions, but in fact did not perform any duties and did not participate in the educational or training process. This allowed them to receive a deferral from mobilization to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The investigation believes that about 5 thousand US dollars could have been demanded for such registration. According to law enforcement, the money was transferred to officials who facilitated the employment.

During the investigation, they seized official documents, including time sheets, class schedules, employment orders, job descriptions, personnel files, military registration lists, and staffing lists.

As part of the investigation, the investigators filed a court request for access to bank documents. The court allowed them to obtain details of card account movements for the period from March 1, 2022, to February 9, 2026, as well as video and photo recordings from bank terminal cameras. According to the investigation, this data can help establish the flow of funds and confirm the receipt of bribes.

According to the investigation, the head of the Department of Physical Culture and Sports of the Mykolaiv City Council, Iryna Bondarenko, who has been heading the department since 2021, could have been involved in the possible scheme. Law enforcement officers are also checking the role of Oleksandr Munch, director of the Peremoha Children and Youth Sports School, and the leadership of the Specialized Children and Youth Sports School of the Olympic Reserve No. 6, where former head of the Sports Department Oleh Mashkin works as deputy director and boxing coach. In January 2026, law enforcement officers searched the premises of the Peremoha sports school.

Анна Літман