Odesa Woman Sentenced to 5 Years, Gets Probation for Obstructing Ukraine's Armed Forces

The Ivanivsky District Court in Odesa Oblast found a local resident guilty of obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations and sentenced her to five years in prison.

However, according to the court' s verdict, the woman's actual sentence was commuted to probation for two years.

She was also imposed with the following obligations: to periodically report for registration to the authorized probation body; to notify the authorized probation body of any change of place of residence, work or study.

Investigators proved that in September-October 2024, the woman, intending to obstruct the legitimate activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations, using her own mobile phone, published messages in the Viber messenger containing information about the date and place of the following events to be held by the military personnel of the district territorial centers of recruitment and social support to notify human mobilization resources. Simply put, she told people about the locations of mobile checkpoints.

In total, the woman posted about 10 such messages. Investigators argued that these publications negatively affected the achievement of the purpose of the notification measures, namely, contributed to the evasion by citizens of Ukraine of the obligation to report to the territorial center of recruitment and social support to register persons liable for military service, reservists, and determine their assignment for a special period, as defined by the Law of Ukraine "On Mobilization Preparation and Mobilization".

The woman pleaded guilty in full, confirmed in her testimony the essence of the charges against her, the motive and method of committing the incriminated act, and repented of the crime.

Кирило Бойко