Odesa court fines military for bribery

The Odesa Primorskyi Court approved a plea agreement between the driver of the training vessel unit of the Institute of Naval Forces of the National University "Odesa Maritime Academy" and the prosecutor regarding the bribery.

According to the court' s verdict, in January 2025, he received a bribe of UAH 124,820 from the military wife, who acted under the control of law enforcement agencies.

He demanded the money for influencing unidentified officials of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to transfer the serviceman from a combat military unit to a rear military unit for further service.

In addition, acting repeatedly and by prior conspiracy with an intermediary, they received USD 2 thousand from a serviceman for influencing the decision of the military medical commission to recognize the man as partially fit for military service and further assist in moving him to a rear military unit for further service.

The defendant fully pleaded guilty to the criminal offenses charged, and stated that his plea was voluntary, i.e., not the result of violence, coercion, threats , or the result of promises or any other circumstances other than those provided for in the agreement. The court eventually sentenced him to a fine of UAH 170,000.

Earlier, law enforcement officers served two Odesa residents with a notice of suspicion of extortion and receiving an unlawful benefit for influencing the decision-making of a person authorized to perform state functions.

They claimed that they had connections in the district center for recruitment and social support and would be able to provide documents for the care of their father, which would give grounds for postponing mobilization. For their services, the defendants demanded USD 11 thousand.

Кирило Бойко